Newbury Embroiderers’ Guild
Four Seasons Banners
Newbury Embroiderers' Guild will be displaying their Four Season Banners specially made for Mozambique in response to the devastating floods of 2000.
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| 27/28 May 2007 |
Newbury Embroiderers’ Guild
2007 has been funded by:
2007 has been funded by:
Following devastating floods in 2000, Reading 3000 was set up in 2001 to support the people of Mozambique. Life was very hard for the people and the climate is harsh. There are few opportunities to learn new skills and earn money. The charity supports the people and has provided a school for children 3-6 years old as well as setting up an agricultural project and a sewing project.
In 2004 Vivien Staunton of Newbury Embroiderers' Guild (NEG) gave a talk on her visits to Mozambique and the sewing project she had set up in Chiaquelane. Vivien was supported by Anne Matthews and Sylvia House who went out to teach at the sewing project. Sylvia raised thousands of pounds to build a community centre. Money raised by the Mary Hare School in Newbury bought sewing machines. During the first year the women learnt to make clothing using hand and machine stitching: skills that had been lost through generations of civil war and the devastating floods. Here was an opportunity for the community to become more self sufficient, and to generate some income. The Newbury Embroiderers wanted to support the women's sewing school, and the community and so embarked on a series of projects.
By this time the women at the sewing school had mastered the basic skills. They were now interested in decorating the items they made so it was decided to stitch a series of samplers illustrating the range of decorative effects that could be achieved using simple embroidery stitches. These were collected into a sample book and were delivered by Vivien in July 2005. In addition to the samplers she took as much fabric as could reasonably be carried.
Vivien then gave a talk to the Young Embroiderers Group early in 2005 about the children in Chiaquelane. They were encouraged to focus their thoughts on what they would miss if their homes were destroyed. The children really wanted to help and decided to make cuddly toys and games to be sent out to the village. They constructed a huge snakes and ladders board and every child in the group made a snake and a ladder as well as toys. Doreen Scott and Sheila Ayliffe also knitted jumpers and hats for the children of Chiaquelane. They were delivered in July 2005 and very well received by the children as you can see in the photographs.
As continued support of the women of Chiaquelane the NEG decided to make something to decorate the purpose built sewing schoolroom in the community centre. A set of banners depicting typical British plants was chosen. Each banner represents one of the four seasons and was made by a dedicated team. Almost every member of NEG has taken part and contributed to the design and stitching. The banners are each 21""x 72", 54cms x 180 cms. Following the display at Newbury Fringe Festival these banners will be delivered to Mozambique in July 2007.
The Embroiderers:
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
| Mollie Atack | Gill Bielby | Jenny Gibson | Iris Baxter |
| Ann Collier | Lorna Goldsmith |
Caroline Gunter |
Sara Dickinson |
| Sheila Coxwell | Ann Jenner | Liz Heitzman | Mair Edwards |
| Christine Highnett | Rita Maton | June Hiscock | Ann Hastie |
| Jen Purslow | Marianne Mohandes | Jean Main | Barbara Parsons |
| Doreen Scott | Sue Robinson | Geraldine Priest |
Joyce Paul |
| Marja Smart | Julie Smith | Valerie Williams | |
| Sue Smith | Vivien Staunton |
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| Gail Winter |
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