Each year we choose 12 of the 77 panels to feature on our fundraising calendar. This month our 2022 calendar features the panel ‘George Fox: Litchfield and Pendle Hill’ so we thought we’d share the fascinating stories and embroidery techniques featured in it.
George Fox lived at a time of great upheaval and cruelty. The founder of the Quaker movement was born in 1624 and died in 1691, so his early formative life spanned the Civil War, which lasted from 1642 to 1651.
This panel shows two incidents, about two years apart, from the early life of George Fox. The first, a vision of martyrs that had been burnt at the stake in Lichfield, is on the left. And the second, of people gathering at a place in Lancashire, Pendle Hill, under the glow of dawn to hear him speak. It’s where he said light overcame the darkness when “the Lord let me see a great people to be gathered”.
The faith that George Fox developed arose from his personal experiences of this time leaving him to reject the authority of the Bible or the authority of the Church. Instead, he found peace in opening himself to the light of Christ directly. Fox declared that: “I saw an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, that flowed over the ocean of darkness.”
He believed that in spite of the bloodshed and chaos of the conflict there were people with a purer vision which could be harnessed to bring gradual change to the way society dealt with its disagreements. It’s the basis of the democracy we have today.
It was Fox’s experience on Pendle Hill that led to the founding of the Quaker movement.
About the stitches We can see three layers of embroidery on this Quaker Tapestry panel, which helped to create the 3D effect many people remark upon. The first layer is the use of a simple line in the Roman soldier and the hills; the second layer is the plain infilling of people and spires. This contrasts with the third layer, creative layers of embroidery, as seen in the fire. This embroidered panel was designed and embroidered by Anne Wynn-Wilson.
This design, along with the other 76 panels which make up the Quaker Tapestry are available to order as high quality photographic prints (to hang on your wall at home)
Quaker Tapestry Calendar 2023. Featuring 12 tear-off postcards showing images from the Quaker Tapestry
The Quaker Tapestry Calendar 2023 features twelve popular panels. The accompanying text for each month’s image is taken from insights into the Quaker Tapestry by Ann Nichols (1922-2017) . Ann was one of the four teachers who taught the embroidery stitches and techniques to thousands of people. Ann was a superb storyteller, teacher, enthusiast and ambassador for the Quaker Tapestry. She taught in many different parts of the world for over 30 years, from the early 1980s. She was also a great peacemaker, gently stepping into the middle of any minor disagreement to bring calm. Ann gave explanations of the story depicted in each panel and often of the stitches used to embroider it.
Buying lovely things from us directly supports our charitable work, thank you. Your purchase helps us to preserve and exhibit one of the world’s largest community embroideries. Sharing its stories, history and stitches for all to enjoy.
