On Thursday 23 March, Blackwell Hall will be closed to the public until 1.30pm, including the café and exhibition galleries.
DISPLAY
The Needle’s Art: Contemporary work by students and tutors of Ornamental Embroidery
20 November 2021 – 30 January 2022
Blackwell Hall, Weston Library
Proscholium, Old Bodleian Library
This display has now closed
A display of contemporary embroidery inspired by a 16th century Tudor pattern book, containing: stylised pictures of trees, plants and animals in alphabetical sequences, with other designs.
The display featured a selection of items, from sewing accoutrements, books covers and domestic furnishings to garments and accessories, worked in a variety of materials and stitch techniques.
As part of the Needles Art exhibition a series of short films were recorded by Helicon Storytelling.
Each film contains a story inspired and devised in the same manner as the embroidery on display – by using the Tudor pattern book M.S Ashmole 1504.
Helicon Storytelling have scoured the manuscript for their favourite settings and characters and have used these as the building blocks to create their very own, Tudor-style stories, including foolish wishes, ferocious beasts, folklore remedies and fearless heroes.
Now it’s your turn – explore the manuscript, choose your favourite illustrations, and use them to create something yourself, whether that’s stitching, drawing or perhaps storytelling.
The storytelling videos have been generously supported by The Helen Hamlyn Trust