“Remember Me”,
I came up with this project idea after having seen some of the amazing pictures of the sweetheart pincushions and thought it would be lovely if local children and adults could remember their family members who were lost in the war.
I worked with Grantham Museum and SKDC and led workshops at the museum or in school to help participants create their own commemorative textile hearts based on the war postcards and cushions.
Two community sewing groups and Grantham Embroiderers Guild, plus 2 secondary schools and 2 primary schools and members of the public took part in the commemorative project. The work was displayed in the Grantham Museum exhibition in February 2015.
I worked with Grantham Museum and SKDC and led workshops at the museum or in school to help participants create their own commemorative textile hearts based on the war postcards and cushions.
Two community sewing groups and Grantham Embroiderers Guild, plus 2 secondary schools and 2 primary schools and members of the public took part in the commemorative project. The work was displayed in the Grantham Museum exhibition in February 2015.
Sweetheart pincushions were made by British soldiers during WWI and sent home to wives, sweethearts, and mothers. In WWI, soldiers often took up needlepoint as a way to pass the time while recuperating from war wounds, or used it as a form of occupational therapy.
These cushions are decorated with beads, sequins, bits of mirror, felt, and pre-printed panels memorializing soldiers’ regiments.
Sweetheart Pincushions measure up to 20cm and were likely never used as pincushions but rather kept as treasured tokens of love.
Despite the terror, tragedy and fear that war threw at these brave soldiers, every one of these intricate, delicate little hand-crafted hearts tells a story that has such love and hope in every stitch.
These cushions are decorated with beads, sequins, bits of mirror, felt, and pre-printed panels memorializing soldiers’ regiments.
Sweetheart Pincushions measure up to 20cm and were likely never used as pincushions but rather kept as treasured tokens of love.
Despite the terror, tragedy and fear that war threw at these brave soldiers, every one of these intricate, delicate little hand-crafted hearts tells a story that has such love and hope in every stitch.