Through the village newsletter I invited interested villagers to a get-together held on 28th October 2003. ‘Old hands’ and novices turned up. We chatted and looked at inspiring books and sample pieces. As a result of that meeting we are to make a hanging made up of four panels reflecting the changing seasons locally. An image of village bridges will appear in each panel. The end piece will be linked together by our village stream. I have submitted the following for the next village newsletter.

“Thank you to everyone who came along to the introductory meeting. It was wonderful to have so many people offering their time and talents and sharing ideas.

With Christmas fast approaching, I shall leave it until the New Year to contact volunteers again. We shall then be setting up groups to work on the background for each of the panels.

There was support for the idea of workshop days – to have a go at new skills and techniques – and planning for these is under way.

There is still a long way to go, but we have taken the first steps….”

(Nov 2003)


At the end of January 2004, Pip, Anya, Andrew and I met at the Village Hall to be very practical. We took detailed measurements for each of the four panels, discussed backing materials and made a final decision about the large clock! The clock can be moved but not removed from the end wall. It has been decided to move it to the centre of the area below the lighting gallery and incorporate it into the ‘Spring’ panel. Since January I have discussed the making of the frames for each panel – a task far more complex than I had appreciated. Thanks to Guy for his expertise and technical advice.

‘Autumn’ - We now have an evocative sketch under way. The original has been scaled up to a full size drawing which can now be traced off and transferred to canvas. The canvas will then be cut into manageable pieces to be worked by a group of willing volunteers. Thanks to Pip for her inspiration, expertise and hard work on this.

‘Spring’ – The background for this will be made in 15cm(6in) knitted, crocheted and woven squares – about 75 of them! A plea has gone out to the village for knitting and tapestry wool to create a ‘wool pool’ for both the ‘Spring’ and ‘Autumn’ panels. We shall shortly be inviting people to come along and collect wool and instructions and then get knitting, crocheting and weaving.

‘Summer’ – Jane and I are keen to have fun with fabric paints and dyes to create our own coloured materials which can be cut into strips and then reassembled to make a very rural summer background. All those who can sew a straight seam will be encouraged to join us. Look out for details of when and where for the fun session of painting and dyeing!

‘Winter’ – this panel is yet to be more than thought about.

Research - At the end of February I visited the embroidery exhibition at the Ilminster Gallery. There was a variety of work on show and I was inspired by several ideas which I am sure we can incorporate into our project, especially when it comes to creating the ‘streams’.



My next planned excursion is to the Artsreach travelling exhibition of contemporary and traditional Dorset crafts which is at Beaminster Museum over Easter and for most of April. This couldn't be better timed for us.

RS – Mar 2004


April 2005
Making the WINTER panel

In mid-February three very willing volunteers and I went to Walford Mill, Wimborne, Dorset to the International Felt Exhibition. It was a wonderful day out and a great inspiration. We came back convinced that a winter textile created in felt was a definite possibility for our final seasonal panel. All we needed was an expert to show us where and how to begin. I found that person, by chance, giving a class at Ilminster Arts Centre. Geraldine Moses, from Taunton, agreed to come to Drimpton in March to do a workshop with us.

Six villagers had a fantastically creative day. We began by making our own small sampler to help us understand the various processes involved and to learn the basic techniques. We became increasingly enthusiastic, and poor Geraldine was bombarded with endless questions about how to create the effects and features we wanted.

We stopped to allow her and us to draw breath, and walked up the village bridge to look at the aspects of that area of the village which we might incorporate into our panel.

By the end of that day, Viv had created our telephone box, Kate had produced the bridge, Andrew and Jane pieces to be ‘needled’ together for the stream, and Jenny and I the sky. All in our own felt!

Since the workshop our ‘felt collage’ has grown to become an exciting representation of the centre of our village in winter. We have added trees and bushes, walls and rocks, and the unmistakable white railings of our bridge.

The number of people involved in the whole Textile Project – making all the seasons – has now reached a grand total of 40+ since two more people volunteered to take home needles and instructions to knit pieces for the spring stream, and I have been recruiting ‘carpenters and joiners’ to make the large wooden frames on which the finished pieces are to be hung.

Thank you to all who have supported and assisted me through this mammoth task. we're not quite finished yet and more help may still be needed. No-one in Drimpton needs to feel left out!

RS – April 05






25 June 2005
Completion of the mural
Venue: Drimpton Village Hall


Our Textile Mural – now called ‘The Little Axe’ is finished!Our Textile Mural – now called ‘The Little Axe’ is finished!
This project has achieved all it set out to do and much more besides. The number of volunteer participants - approaching 50 - and the sheer scale of the textile exceeded all our expectations. There were planners, designers, stitchers, sewers, knitters, felters, dyers, embroiderers, patchwork makers, tapestry workers, as well as framemakers and others with titleless jobs. The mural was hung on 24th June in the Village Hall and revealed to the public on Saturday 25th when the doors opened at 3.00pm. Over the next two hours about a hundred people visited to view and to take a cream tea prepared by the ladies of St Mary’s Church.

The four panels portray semi-realistic and imagined views of our stream and both its old former bridge, which was replaced in 2003, and our new one. The building of our new bridge, together with the naming of our stream are at the heart of the entire Building Bridges project. Our stream and a bridge appear in each panel.

In brief the panels are as follows from left to right:
Winter – made in handcrafted felt. The skill was learned at a workshop arranged by the
project in March 2005. The panel shows the new bridge by the telephone box.
Spring – made in knitting and soft toy work and worked on by many of our oldest villagers.
Sheep ‘bridge’ the permanent clock and a ‘stream’ flows below.
Summer – made in patchwork with stitching and embroidery, using materials dyed in methods
learned during the project. The old bridge appears in this panel.
Autumn – made in tapestry evoking the feel of the time and place in a freer form.


Here are a few quotes in response to the textile from the visitors’ book:
‘Wonderful. An inspiring piece of work that will become an attraction for both residents and visitors.’ [Chris Fogg]
‘What a vibrant mural, capturing the life of the village with the stream and bridge at its heart. A real tribute to the creative collaboration of all involved.’ [Brian Hesketh]
‘Superb work and imagination.’ [Dorothy Owen]
‘Beautiful start to the life of The Little Axe.’ [Lewis & Joy Edwards]
‘Amazing – what a lot of talent in such a small village.’ [Christine & Peter Cresswell]
‘A wonderful enhancement to our hall reflecting both the skills of those who worked upon the banner and their hard work.’ [John Watts]
‘Even Vivaldi couldn't describe these portraits of a village any better.’ [Veronica Harwood]

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