Gwent Branch: 'Awards for All Wales'

'Awards for All Wales'

Gwent Embroiderers' Guild meets every 3rd Saturday, at Llantarnam Grange, Cwmbran. In 2005/6 with the help of Torfaen Voluntary Alliance we applied for a grant from 'Awards for All Wales' and in April 2006 we received the grant, a cheque for £1268 which was presented to us by the then Mayor of Torfaen.

The grant was given to cover travel costs and entrance fees and had to be used by April 2007. As a result of this Grant we were able to enjoy a number of excursions. On June 3rd 2006 members travelled to LLanidloes to attend 'All Wales Day' with the Embroiderers' Guild. This is a meeting of members from all over Wales. We attended a lecture given by CEFYN BURGESS - who uses his pen/pencil drawings of Welsh Chapels as a source for his art/embroidery work which he exhibits in Wales and England. We were also able to buy from embroidery stalls and watch demonstrations given by the stall holders.

In July 2006 we visited the National Botanic Gardens in West Wales we enjoyed good weather, lovely gardens - especially the newly restored walled garden - and excellent food. Sept 2006 saw us travelling for a morning at Evesham and a visit to the Redditch Needle Museum, where we were welcomed by the curator and given an interesting tour of the museum. The remaining monies of the Grant were used in March 2007 to help fund a trip to Swansea for a meeting of the Embroiderers' Guild Branches for all South Wales. We heard two speakers, the first speaker was an artist who influenced by stitching has converted her work to embroidery - but using her art work for inspiration. The second lecture was given by a quilter who has produced wonderful quilts inspired by her travels abroad especially to Africa and Australia.

The grant has enabled Gwent members to reach new levels of inspiration for their embroidery and textile work.