The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry…. Guest blogger: Barbara Gilbert

The term “Tapestry” in the title of this project is a misnomer as it really is a massive embroidery project.  It consists of 305 individual panels, each 50 cm x 50 cm (20 inches x 20 inches).  Each panel has been designed and drawn by the Scottish artist Andrew Crummy.  The panels depict the diverse history of the Scottish diaspora all around the world – from the settlements and explorations to the many important scientific, architectural, economic, and cultural contributions that continue to the present day.

To quote from the website of the Scottish diaspora Tapestry project: This is “ A project to involve communities around the world in celebration of Scottish heritage and culture, the people and places which connect Scotland to its global diaspora.
Scots have migrated all over the world and have often had a profound impact on the areas where they settled. This project brought together stories from more than such communities, documenting their Scottish connections in more than 300 embroidered panels. It is a remarkable and heart-felt homage to the determination, courage and achievement of Scottish migrants and their descendants across the centuries.”

Embroiderers from 31 countries around the world volunteered their time and skill to embroider the panels.   The panels were returned to Scotland where they were stretched and mounted individually.

There are 37 regional panels from Canada.  Four of these panels were stitched by members of the Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria (Sir James Douglas, Robert Dunsmuir, Agnes Dean Cameron, and Simon Fraser) between January 2014 and May 2014.

 Victoria Embroiderers Diana Caleb worked on Craigdarroch. Anne Cimkett and Barbara Lake worked on Simon Fraser Panel.

 

Andrew Crummy’s committee of volunteers created a “kit” for each panel and sent the kits off to willing embroiderers around the world. The kit consisted of the design hand drawn on specially woven cotton/linen fabric, a black and white rendering of the drawing, a coloured cartoon showing the colour placement, and Appleton crewel wool for stitching. The only instructions for specific stitches were for the central circle, the outer border line and the lettering. It was left up to each individual stitcher to choose a stitch suitable for the rest of the design.

Agnes Dean Cameron first female high school principal in Victoria, B.C.

James Douglas – first lieutenant governor of British Columbia

Robert Dunsmuir Panel

detail of Craigdarroch Castle built by Dunsmuir

Ceilidh Scottish dancing

Simon Fraser Panel This project started in 2012 and was first viewed in May of 2014. It toured Scotland during the “2014 Year of the Homecoming” and then set off on a world tour. It has just been to Australia and New Zealand. The first stop on the Canadian tour is Victoria, BC. The tapestry is on display at Christ Church Cathedral, downtown on Quadra Street- from May 13 to 30. It is open to the public from Monday to Saturday, from 10 am – 4pm. The tapestry is then scheduled to travel across Canada with the next stop in Winnipeg during mid June. For other locations and dates, check the website: http://www.scotttishdiasporatapestry.org

detail of Simon Fraser panel