Description

How do you stitch a mountain, a tartan kilt, a tweed jacket, castle, or an explorer?

Many of the visitors to The Battle of Prestonpans and Scottish diaspora Tapestries have asked these questions, and within this book, we hope you will find inspiring answers.

The images have been chosen to highlight the way in which the embroiderers have brought these unique stories to life with simple stitches – stitch at a time. These tapestries with their human stories, stitched as community projects, have created two wonderful narrative embroideries, telling tales often hitherto untold.

The Battle of Prestonpans Tapestry narrates the story of the Jacobite uprising and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s

Ultimate success on the battlefield at Prestonpans on 21st September 1745.

The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry was created to tell the stories of the hardy Scots who travelled across the world to make a new life, taking their culture and talents with them.

The task given to the volunteer embroiderers in many communities worldwide was to create their Panels using stitches which would best convey the story being told. Many had years of experience, but many were stitching for the first time!

They have clearly done extraordinarily well. And they have again and again demonstrated great initiative.