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Getting the MessageI have been a member of the Embroiderers' Guild for many years, but am concerned about its inability to reach a wider audience.
An article in this weekend's Financial Times supplement 'How to Spend It', gave me a glimmer of hope. The article, headed 'Slow on the Uptake', says that today's busy professionals are turning away from fast production and embracing the skills of the past. It names interior designers who are using appliquŁ and hand embroidery to satisfy this new craving. Apparently they look in National Trust houses for ideas, but whether through ignorance of its local availability, or greed, are still sending to the Far East for the embroidery. These designers charge a lot of money for the embroidered cushions, curtains, bags, etc. and I would like to see more skilled workers in this country getting a piece of the action. Apparently this new trend to present a high-quality personal image has come on the back of recent interest in food and interior design. So shouldn't the Guild be getting involved?
We undoubtedly need a television programme with our own 'Jamie Oliver' showing off his/her skills with a needle. Perhaps the magazine has some ideas on this. I feel sure we are all in agreement that a well-designed embroidery is as much an art form as painting, which the FT article inferred. The new director at the Crafts Council, Louise Taylor, was also keen to state in the Makers' News this autumn that craft is a dynamic art form, but how will we get that recognition without engaging the public better and filling our classes and Guild Branches with informed people?
Elaine Thompson