Ethnic Embroidery

As part of the Festival of Broken Needles celebration we had on February 8, 2017, Pam Pilkington treated us to a special exhibit of her many beautiful pieces of Ethnic Embroidery collected during her many travels.  Her travels began as a Girl Guide when she travelled to Lapland.  Pam told us that her parents were very encouraging of her travelling and she continued to do so for many years with various groups.  A Family Studies (Home Economics) teacher for 31 years, Pam has a number of artisan skills including, but not limited to, woodworking, spinning and weaving and embroidery.

Pam has travelled to so many places: Sometime in the 1970’s to Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey with the Weavers and Spinners of America, in 1976 to West Africa as part of her university studies, in 1979 to China, in 1988 to Hungary and Romania with a craft group, in 1994 to the Baltics, in 2009 to Guatamala and has also travelled to the Netherlands and Belgium, Japan and Mexico.  Pam shared some stories with us of her adventures.  What an adventurous woman.

Below are examples of the many pieces of embroidered clothing or cloth that Pam brought home.  They are truly beautiful pieces of work.  Thank you Pam for a such a wonderful presentation.