THEY REMAIN
Image: Poppies. Photo: Jayne Burton for the Royal British Legion.
Text: Sarah Jane Downing
The value of embroidery to occupy and calm those afflicted with combat stress was enshrined during the Second World War, when special kits were issued. Entitled ‘Art Needlework by Penelope’, the kits were labelled with the warning: ‘SPECIALLY PRODUCED FOR H.M. FORCES UNDER BOARD OF TRADE under no circumstances to be sold to the general public’.
Image: Art Needlework by Penelope. Courtesy of Imperial War Museums.
Contained within the paper envelope were a linen tablecloth or table runner printed with a floral design, an instruction leaflet promising to impart the 35 different skills required to complete it and a clutch of coloured embroidery silks rendered all the more precious by the privations of wartime rationing.
The need to memorialise is also just as powerful and the 21st century has seen a new generation of military patchwork. In 2011, ex-servicemen prisoners at HMP Wandsworth embroidered a patchwork hanging commemorating those fallen in 2010, which was auctioned to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.
Image: Help for Heroes quilt. Courtesy of HMP Wandsworth and Fine Cell Work
Whilst, in 2012, artist Susan Stockwell and the National Army Museum founded the ‘Piece Makers’ project to work with soldiers in rehabilitation to create a patchwork assimilating memory represented by worn and stained army blankets with the silk and embroidery of inner feelings to create a narrative of hope and recovery.
Image: The Help for Heroes recovery centre, Tedworth House. Courtesy of the National Army Museum, 2012
The materials may have changed but the urge to creativity, to personalise pieces, and carve out a small fragment of home, are still just as important for those serving in contemporary conflicts.
Addendum:
Whilst the article above first appeared in Issue 88 of SELVEDGE, we are all too aware that war in Europe rages to this day. Zoe and Friends have made a quilt of 25 individual panels, employing a wide range of textile techniques— including patchwork, quilting, appliqué, and embroidery — which they hope will raise money for the Disaster Emergencies Committee Ukraine Appeal, run by Action Aid.
Image: Quilt 4 Ukraine. Courtesy of Zoe and Friends.
Zoe and Friends say, ‘The range of styles and techniques represent the many individual stories and experiences of Ukrainians at war, while the colour and imagery unite the many narratives.’ Each unique panel measures 24cm x 24cm, representing the 24th of February, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, with the finished piece measuring 163cm x 163cm.
Zoe and Friends Everyone who donates will be entered into a draw, for a chance to win this wonderful quilt.
The draw will take place on 6th January 2023. When you donate, don’t forget to leave your contact details to ensure you are eligible.
Image: Quilt 4 Ukraine. Courtesy of Zoe and Friends.