Sometimes it is difficult to understand the power of one person living in a world of billions of others. Here’s a little exercise to help. Take a moment to think about the breadth and depth of the environmental disasters we face today. Think about the air pollution and the health effects we experience when we breathe that air. Think about the serious water issues we face: the pollution, the scarcity, the looming wars over water. Think about the deteriorating soil quality, the dying oceans, the endangered wildlife, the increasing occurrences of wild fires that each year are more severe than the last. And think about the critical issue of global warming and its ramifications for everyone and everything around the world.

Now think about this: Every one of these problems has been created by us humans over a relatively short period of time. By “us” I don’t mean large groups or global populations acting in concert. This disaster has been created by individuals acting independently. By “us” I am referring to you, me, our spouses, each of our children, our grandfathers, our grandmothers, our cousins . . . Our current crisis was created by each of us acting independently and establishing a personal and professional lifestyle that was environmentally deaf, dumb and blind.

The needed coordination between governments and industry to turn this crisis around will never succeed if we as individuals don’t join in the efforts. If the same number of individuals who created the problem focused on what they need to do on the personal level to live an environmentally conscious life, we could turn the global problems around in an amazingly short time. I believe in the power of the individual and I believe in the importance of our acting responsibly as individuals without waiting for the right leader or group. In actuality, it’s the power of the individual that leads the way.

Now imagine what we individuals could accomplish if we teamed up with the greatest authority in the field of balance — nature — to help us personally to make the best decisions for improving our lives and our planet.

Reprinted with the permission of Machaelle Wright of Perelandra-ltd.com

The Magna Carta Embroidery Panels were commissioned by Runnymede Borough Council and designed and created by Rhoda Nevins, a member of the Royal School of Needlework.

They show the story of how the Barons persuaded King John to agree to the Magna Carta, arguably the most important legal document of our history, laying the foundation for justice and freedom, not only in this country but throughout the world.

The embroideries are works of art that tell that story, which is what this series all about.

Events that led up to the sealing of the Magna Carta occurred in the Charter Towns. Rhoda Nevins designed the panels to depict these events. Each Magna Carta Trust town has its own panel which are Runnymede, Bury St Edmunds, St Albans, the City of London, Canterbury and Hereford.

An additional panel shows the shields of the 25 barons who were present at the sealing.

Five more panels tell the story of how the Magna Carta spread law and order throughout the Commonwealth and former British Colonies. There are panels for the United States of America, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa. The following photo was the best reproduction I could find of a panel.

The fabric is heavy weight silk with applique and surface embroidery using silk and gold threads.

The panels are a lasting legacy to the UK in honour of one of the most important historical events in their history.

I just had to include this final photo. When a panel is large and wide there is a problem in reaching the central area. If rolling the fabric onto the width bars is not feasible, then someone has to work from underneath.

“Get out and get under” with thoughts of Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. She looks to be as comfortable as she could be in a difficult situation.

https://magnacartaembroidery.com

Comments are welcome.

Tomorrow:  One final episode which is an update on the Bayeux Tapestry.

Inevitably, there have been thoughts on why the Bayeux Tapestry finishes so abruptly with the death of King Harold on the battlefield of Hastings. It is thought that 8′ –10′ of the Tapestry were not completed. The ladies of the Channel Island of Alderney have created a four foot panel showing the finale to the Bayeux Tapestry. It was completed in 2013 and has been shown with the original tapestry in Bayeux.

Just finished!  You can see it all in this picture.

Lots of people had a chance to add a stitch or two and enjoyed the experience.  As you can see – because of its width, the top half had to be stitched upside-down.

The children were encouraged to add some stitches too.

The far right edge is finished with the same design as was used at the left hand edge of the Bayeux Tapestry.

It was a Community Project.

To see more go to ‘The Alderney Bayeux Tapestry Finale’ where you will find lots more information.

Reading Museum and their Bayeux Tapestry

The Victorian full scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is on view at the Reading Museum. Creating it was the idea of Elizabeth Wardle of the Leek Embroidery Society. They thought that Britain should have its own Bayeux Tapestry. Sir Thomas Wardle, the developer of silk dyes, produced yarns to match the original shades of wool. 35 ladies, all well practiced stitchers, took one year to complete the project. It is a true replica except for a discreet concealment of some of the anatomy in the original.

The truth of the matter is that they used the hand coloured photographs of the Bayeux Tapestry owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum as their design source. Some of the printing had got a bit blurred, or, edited. I remember viewing this copy in the V and A in the early 1950s. I knew nothing about the Bayeux Tapestry at the time but was fascinated to roll the paper copy back and forth on its rollers. Age is a great corrector of ignorance. It is such a good likeness to the original that I have no photos to show you that would be different in anyway.

http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk

You will find more about Sir Thomas and Elizabeth Wardle and the development of dying silk earlier in Stitching Idyllic blog.

Andy Wilkinson

Meet Andy Wilkinson who is a history buff. Without any experience of drawing or sewing, he started on a 2:1 scale version of the Bayeux Tapestry. He is a London Underground engineer and a member of historical re-enactment groups. As of 2013, he had been working on it for 18 years, At that time it was 40′ in length. The original Bayeux Tapestry is 230′ long. More information can be found at the contact below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305699/History-fanatic-spends-18-YEARS-hand-stitching-version-Bayeux-Tapestry-40ft-long.html#ixzz535XPoCDf

Ray Dugan

Ray Dugan is a retired Professor of the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario. He has stitched a full scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. He brought it to our Guild a few years ago and we were impressed with his workmanship as well as the enormous task he had undertaken.

Included here is a panel from his embroidery.  I chose a battle scene from the several he sent me. Please note his stitching skill.

Having raised the question about artist/designer differences pause and take a good look at this one.

What do you think?

It has been shown in many places including St The Evangelist Anglican Church in Kitchener. It’s permanent home is with Ray Dugan.

To read more, go to  http://dugansbayeuxtapestry.com

Tomorrow: Really will be The Hastings Embroidery.

It is another monumental piece of embroidery, and, it is an unknown National Treasure.

Saturday, October 14, 1066 was another beautiful day after a summer of excellent weather. Better to have a battle on a dry day rather than when it is raining!! The armies were well matched in numbers, around 8000 men each. The Saxon army formed up on the top edge of a hill leaving the Normans the lower ground and having to fight uphill. This sounds like a good strategy to me as I am routing for the Saxons but then, I am English, or rather a Canadian, in this lifetime. The battle started around 9 am and lasted all day. Breaks to eat were taken.

The Saxons formed a shield wall using their left arms which was the accepted procedure in those days. It was a very strong defense and hard for an enemy to break. It would appear fro
m the above picture that they threw spears and wielded battle axes with their right arms.

The Normans had horses. 174 horses are portrayed in the tapestry. Their army was well mounted, well armed and protected by coats of mail. They were also rested as they had been camped for two weeks whereas the Saxon army had walked all the way up to York and back and had fought the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

Riding up the hill towards the Saxon army, they must have been a formidable sight. As was the custom, the leader rode in the front of his army. The fighting was furious but the Saxon shield wall held firm. That is, until; the Normans staged a retreat and the Saxons, against orders, broke their wall and ran down the hill after them. With the wall broken, the Normans came round the ends and through the line.

From then on, it was a matter of individual battles. It was carnage of both men and horses. The horses had no protective armaments. Notice the fallen men in the lower border.

In this scene, Duke William riding a beige horse, and Bishop Odo, riding the blue horse are leading and encouraging the Norman army. Notice the archers in the lower border.

The armies are well matched and the bludgeoning and bloodshed went on hour after hour. A rumor circulated that King Harold had been killed. To show that he was still alive, he lifted the visor of his helmet and an arrow went into his eye. The battle was over.

The Saxons retreated. The Norman army was victorious. Thus ended 600 years of Saxon rule in England. The Bayeux Tapestry ends at this point.

There are plans to bring the Bayeux Tapestry to London where it will be displayed, possibly in the British Museum. This will not happen before 2020. But; if you happen to be in Paris, there are Day Trips to the city of Bayeux and you can see the tapestry in its own gallery. Bayeux is close to the invasion beaches of Normandy. A two day trip from Paris will include both.

Both Brittany and Normandy are very interesting areas of France to visit. Enjoy.

The Bayeux Tapestry – Seven Ages of Britain. Watch it on BBC One !

It is under 5 minutes in length and is an excellent tour of the whole Bayeux Tapestry in it ‘s gallery in France. You will recognize parts and see a broader view of this historic event

Hot news today Feb 06, 2018, from the city of York.
Fulford Tapestry off to Bayeux in France. Mike Laycock Chief reporter – The York Press

A TAPESTRY depicting the 1066 Battle of Fulford is to go on temporary display in France, near the home of the famous Bayeux Tapestry.

But before it crosses the channel, York residents and visitors will get a chance to see it when it is displayed for two days in Barclays Bank on Parliament Street during bank opening hours on Friday and Saturday, February 16 and 17, during the annual Jorvik Viking Festival.

But archaeologist Chas Jones, who designed the Bayeux-style work about the Fulford battle, has already made arrangements with the French authorities for it to go on tour in Normandy next month.

He said it was set to go on public display in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (which is where Duke William built his armada) from March 13 to 20, before being shown to conservators in Bayeux itself and then to academics at the University of Caen.

The 5.6 metre long tapestry, which has already been shown to MPs at Westminster, took a team of York embroiderers about seven years to complete.

It tells pictorially the story of the Norse invasion of 1066, from King Harald Hardrada’s landing at Scarborough, where cottages were burnt, to their traveling down the coast to Holderness and then sailing up the Ouse before landing at Riccall.

The tapestry then recounts their victory at Fulford, followed by their entry into the city of York.

The Fulford battle was followed by another at Stamford Bridge and then the crucial Norman victory at Hastings, which changed the course of British history.

The plans to take the tapestry to France were welcomed by two women who were involved in the lengthy project to embroider it, which involved complicated stitches such as ‘laid work’ as well as cross stitch and stem stitch.

Mary Ann Dearlove said: “I think it’s wonderful,” while Dorrie Worrall, who lives in Fulford, said she was pleased by the news but said it was more important in the longer term for it to be put on permanent display somewhere in York. With Chas Jones.

Tomorrow: The sequel to the Battle of Hastings including some thoughts and questions on the artist/artists who designed it.

The Fulford Gate Tapestry

King Hadrada (Harald) was a Viking and a fierce and experienced warrior. The Vikings had a long history of marauding, pillaging and plundering. In 1066 they were well equipped with about 7000 men and 300 longships. In mid September, they landed on the eastern shores of England near Scarborough, which they burned, and then moved on to the city of York. Earl Tostig, (King) Harold Godwinson’s estranged brother, joined the Viking forces bringing more men. Tostig hoped to claim Northumbria as his own domain. Their combined forces were around 10,000 fighting men though the number varies depending on the source. The Saxon army was about half the size.

The weather that summer was hot and dry and lasted through September and into October.   What ensued on September 20 was the first battle of 1066, the Battle of Fulford Gate, which was won by the Vikings. It was a fierce encounter with heavy losses on both sides. There was a marsh on one side of the battle field and a river with an embankment on the other. A lot of men were lost in the marsh. King Hadrada is the lone figure on the right side (below) with his sword above his head. Their prize was the City of York which the Vikings agreed not to pillage or burn. The local Saxons also agreed to join the Vikings on their trek south to London where King Hadrada planned to claim the throne of England.

In the panel below, King Hadrada, with blond hair and beard, followed by Tostig, is shown entering the city of York.  Note the shape of Tostig’s head and his features.  He is obviously the brother of King Harold.

The names of the protagonists is confusing.  King Harald was the Viking leader whereas King Harold was the Saxon leader.

The embroidery, like the Bayeux Tapestry, is a continuous strip of linen fabric about 18 feet long. The upper and lower friezes contain scenes from everyday life and battle casualties. It was designed by Charles Jones. Embroiderers from the area of Fulford Gates and York dyed their wool threads using traditional methods. The continuous strip is divided into six sections for photography of which three are included here.

The Fulford Tapestry was completed about seven years ago but I do not know where it is stored or is on display. I have read as much as I can find about the Battle of Fulford Gate and have condensed it to a few sentences which may, or may not, give you an accurate picture.

The final photo is of the ladies who stitched on the Fulford Gate Tapestry. This is the first of the contemporary embroideries that add to our understanding of the eventful year of 1066 and fleshes out the story told in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Congratulations ladies.  It is a job well done.  I would love to meet you  but age and an ocean are in the way.

For more information on the battle and the tapestry, connect with these links.

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/battles/Fulford.htm

http://www.fulfordtapestry.info

Hippystitch: The Fulford Tapestry

The creation of the Fulford Tapestry – Images

1066. During the Spring and Summer Duke William of Normandy prepares his Armada.

Duke William of Normandy has been betrayed by Harold and considers himself to be the rightful King of England. He prepares an armada of ships to carry the men, horses and the armaments he will need to defeat King Harold.

Trees were felled and boats built.

Armour and spears were made. Provisions were collected and loaded on to the boats.

Horses were acquired and loaded onto boats.

The wind and tides were against the armada sailing for England. William and his army waited in France while Harold and his army waited for them in southern England. The English army became bored and restless and some went home for the harvest. The wind and tides, however, had been helpful to the Vikings who attacked in north east England leading to the battles of Fulford Gate and Stamford Bridge.

The tapestry is really an embroidery. It is stitched on linen fabric using seven dominantly coloured wool threads. The stitches used are stem stitch, Bayeux stitch, (which is a form of laid work), and satin stitch. Notice the style of the design. The artist was gifted at showing detail and realism and in connecting the various scenes into a continuous flow. There is also a lot of energy and action in each scene which does not get lost during the process of stitching.

It is 230 (or 270) feet long and 20 inches wide,  The borders, top and bottom, are each 3 inches wide.  They show birds, animals and incidents from Aesop’s fables.  In the battle scenes, they show archers in action, fallen soldiers and horses. There are 8 lengths of fabric stitched together to achieve the total length of 230/270 feet. There are 50/74 different scenes depicted.  You will observe that the information is variable according to source. It is all of interest to historians who see it as a revealing glimpse of life in the era before the Middle Ages.

Yes, it is all very interesting but you have to know what you are looking at to appreciate the details.

Kits are available from various resources if you would like to create a replica of a section of the Bayeux Tapestry.

Tomorrow: September 20, 1066. The Battle of Fulford Gate.

Embroideries that Record History

Interest and research has resulted in this series of blogs that features the Bayeux Tapestry and other embroideries that record the events of 1066 up until the Magna Carta. All have shaped the development of the western world and democracy. By influencing the western world, these events have affected the development of the whole world. The Overlord Embroidery, which records the D Day landings in 1944 is not included in this series but is featured in an earlier blog on this site. All these embroideries are unique. Only the Bayeux Tapestry is old whereas the others are contemporary. Here is your chance to be an armchair traveler and visit them all and to read the story that they portray.

Commemorative Tapestries/large Embroideries

1066 was a difficult year for Saxon England. King Edward the Confessor died in January without a direct heir creating opportunities for contestants to the crown. Earl Harold Godwinson (of Saxon aristocracy) promptly had himself crowned king which started a cascade of events. In mid-September, King Hadrada of Norway and a huge army of Vikings invaded northeast England resulting in the Battle of Fulford Gate which they won. The next and more decisive battle a few days later was the Battle of Stamford Bridge which was won by the Saxon army. Previous blogs have focused on these two battles. They have been edited and placed in context in this series.

The Prequel to the Battle of Hastings

Along with 1944, 1066 was a year that changed the destiny of the western world. We all know the outcome of the Battle of Hastings. The first half of the Bayeux Tapestry tells us what was happening before the battle. It must have been important to have been recorded in such detail.

In the later years of his reign, King Edward the Confessor sent Earl Harold Godwinson on a visit to France probably to discuss the succession to the English throne with Duke William of Normandy.

Harold went to his country residence first and had a feast. From there he boarded the ship that would take him to France. Notice that he had to wade to get on board. He took his hawk and a hound with him as it was intended to be a friendly visit.

He was shipwrecked on the shores of northeast France and captured by Count Guy of Ponthieu.

Duke William hears about this and pays a ransom to have Harold released. Both Guy and Harold travel to William’s castle in Rouen (northwestern France) where they are received formally. After various travels and adventures around northern France and Normandy they all arrive in Bayeaux. Harold was very strong and at a beach, he pulled someone out of quicksand.(Nasty, dangerous stuff is quicksand).  This is one of the adventures recounted.

Duke William insists that Harold become his vassal. Harold swears his allegiance on the Holy Relics.

The two chests of relics are openly displayed and all appears to be peaceful.

Harold then returns to England where King Edward the Confessor is sick. He dies on January 6, 1066 and is buried in the newly built Westminster Abbey. This portion of the tapestry shows him being carried to Westminster Abbey which was consecrated a week before he died.

Note the ‘Hand of God’ coming down form heaven to consecrate the Abbey.

This is the tomb and shrine of Saint Edward the Confessor, the only king in English history to become a Saint.

Harold is crowned King of England.

About Eastertime of that year, Halley’s comet appears, terrifies the western world and is seen as an omen. Did you see Haley’s comet in 1995 or 96?

Duke William of Normandy was a more rightful contender to the throne of a prosperous and agricultural Saxon England. He was not amused that Harold had had himself crowned King at the first opportunity. Duke William spent all summer making extensive preparations for an invasion army of men, horses, ships, weapons and armour. The wind and tides were against him sailing. These same weather conditions favoured the Viking invasion on the north east coat of England.

All these pictures (except for the Shrine of Edward the Confessor), are taken from the Bayeux Tapestry.

Tomorrow: Duke William prepares his invasion fleet.

Please feel free to share this with friends and others who would be interested.

This stitcher is a long time quilter and had never hand stitched anything other than a kit previous to this garden. She loved stitching the tree and the tulips and added the rocks to ground some of the plants. She loved the dandelions so included those.

A garden with promise: stitched by Josie Abel

Edna is new to stitching so she is also new to creative stitching. This is a most successful path with a lot to look at on both sides. Her primulas and forsythias are very successful. Her next, current, project is also creative being designed by herself. It appears that Edna has bypassed kits and printed designs completely and has become an ‘original concept’ embroiderer.

Action! Action! Birds in the sky: stitched by Edna Miller

Pat started with the fence and distant trees. The flowers were added from the top down to the front. One has to look at this garden carefully as there is a lot to see. As you look and identify the flowers you will see small extra ones tucked into unexpected places. Pat is now an experienced stitcher. Other pieces of her work are included in Hand Stitch Recognizable Summer Flowers.

My Garden of Eden: stitched by Pat Harwood

Joan is a most creative lady as can be seen by her interpretation of a garden. It is completely different in every possible way. It features wisteria, magnolia, wild grasses snowdrops and grape hyacinths. This piece is a tribute to the physical challenges Joan battles with dedication and determination every day of the year.

The River of Life: stitched by Joan Prowse