TWENTY years-old this year, Cheriton Bishop branch of West Country Embroiderers staged a fascinating weekend exhibition that included work from World War One that would have been done by soldiers.

This was the group’s annual fair and exhibition, showing members’ work plus stalls selling a wide variety of items from local craftspeople.

Then there was the competition for members. Each year they are challenged to design and sew something on a given theme. This year that was to recycle denim jeans into something new.

Ideas included bags big and small, oven gloves or a pair of boots for indoor use only. Winner this year with a large decorated bag was Jenny Bone.

Visitors were asked to choose their favourite putting the name in a box so the winner would be drawn at the end of the two days.

The World War One exhibition included snippets of information such as the embroidered altar frontal at St Paul’s Cathedral, created by World War One wounded soldiers from the UK, Australia, Canada and South Africa.

There was a piece about the Bovril Fund and how Cadbury’s began producing chocolate for the troops.

There were examples of trench art and postcards embroidered on scraps of silk or net by nuns, women and girls in France and Belgium that would have been sent home by the troops.

Everything had been contributed by members including copies of books such as "The Harmsworth Red Magazine" that cost four-and-a-half old pennies in 1916. This was produced through the war to try to keep women from thinking about their menfolk away in the war.

Fascinating and colourful was the display about the tour of Southern India by a group of Cheriton Bishop members last year. This included a section on indigo dyeing.

There was also a chance for visitors to try different skills under the tutelage of a member.

West Country Embroiderers’ was founded more than 40 years ago and now has a membership of nearly 1,000 among more than 30 groups, such as at Cheriton Bishop, that are between Penzance and Christchurch in Dorset.

Members share their skills as well as welcoming national and international embroiderers to group workshops.

For the past 10 years West Country Embroiderers’ have taken part in the Craft4Crafters Show at Westpoint, Exeter, both exhibiting and demonstrating.

The Cheriton Bishop branch was formed in January, 1997. Monthly meetings are held at Cheriton Bishop Village Hall with either visiting tutors or members sharing their skills.

This is a thriving, happy and popular branch of West Country Embroiderers who welcome new members whether novice or expert.

Sue Read

More pictures with this article can be found in print in the current issue of the Courier, dated May 4, 2018, Issue 1188. Please visit your local outlets for your copy.

All back-dated digital issues of the Crediton Courier dating from issue August 9, 2009, can be found in our digital archive, a link can be found at the top of this page.