Friday 2 August 2019

How Have I Missed That One?

Tuesday was World Embroidery Day. 
Did you know that? My only excuse is extreme busyness plus fatigue and sleepiness.
But I shall definitely watch out for it next year - this initiative was started by Swedish stitchers eight years ago.
They say
“We want to draw attention to the embroidery as a free creative act, which can lead to free, creative thoughts and ideas. We want to tie our embroidery threads from a northern privileged part of the world with stitches sewn by embroidery sisters and brothers around the world. We want to be part of a lively creative peace movement. Make July 30 a creative day for peace, freedom and equality. "
Here is their MANIFESTO
Textile reflects our world; embroideries can show the expressions of our time. Embroidery and textiles can focus on the social injustices between countries. 
By the means of embroidery we can draw attention to the necessity of engaging in the force of textile in global trade and with it in world peace. Textiles is a power and let us use embroidery as an inspiration for people to engage in creativity that leads to a better understanding between countries and between people. 
To embroider is a peaceful occupation. It can be traditional made from a common remembrance, drawn designs, from a pattern, or from your own imagination. You embroider for joy, beauty, decoration and for the creation of identity. 
Stitches can be decorative, beautiful, comforting, repeating, healing, telling, pleasurable, rebellious, caressing and perfect. 
People embroider out of joy, as a hobby, professionally, for the bare necessities of life and as an act of freedom. You embroider together with others or in meditative solitude. 
We want to acknowledge embroidery as an act of free creativity, which can lead to free, creative thoughts and ideas. We want to tie our embroidery threads from the privileged northern hemisphere together with stitches that are sewn by embroidering sisters and brothers all over the world. 
We want to be part of a joyfully creative peace movement
The initiative came from Skåne Sy-d, a local group of Broderiakademin, the Swedish Embroiderer’s Guild. The first World Embroidery Day took place in Vismarlöv, 30th July 2011. "The importance of embroidery must be made known and World Embroidery Day will spread around the world. Make 30th July a day filled with creativity"
for the sake of Peace, Freedom and Equality.


3 comments:

  1. No, I didn't know about it, either! Very interesting! And here I thought that embroidery was, well, just embroidery! :D

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  2. An artist friend of mine who created the idea for The Great Tapestry of Scotland and a couple of other monumental tapestry projects has recovered from throat cancer and he has developed an idea to make a gigantic tapestry for our local general hospital where he was treated, with the call for volunteers to contribute to each panel with their own story. Naturally, I put my name down (they send you a small piece of linen and the embroidery threads in the colours being used in the tapestry and you make up your own design)to make a square in memory of my bestie who died from pancreatic cancer 7 years ago. I haven't embroidered for years so the end result will be interesting.

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  3. I didn't know that but it is a lovely-sounding day!

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