Then there was Lockdown (Mar-June 2020)

Supporting the NHS and working from home

Like so many other plans, our project was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our planned 2-week exhibition in June 2020 had to be postponed until 2021 and all of the Making Workshops had to be cancelled, along with any further engagement plans with schools.

We were fortunate that people were used to working on tapestry kits at home, so we created the remaining packs and distributed them for ‘Lockdown Leisure-time’.  Where kits for some panels were already completed, these were given to individuals to take home and sew them onto the background calico, adding any required additional detail directly onto the calico.

Of course, the immediate need as we entered Lockdown was support for the NHS rather than work on the tapestry. A number of our embroiderers turned their skills to making NHS scrubs, laundry bags and headscarves, whilst knitters created NHS poppies and rosettes for sale, with proceeds going to the NHS.

As people returned to kit making and as Lockdown was eased, we collected the finished kits and set about finalising the remaining panels.