The Plimoth Jacket - A Wonder of Present Day Stitching

The genius of the project which seeks to reconstruct a Jacobean woman's jacket is staggering - and yet it is all but accomplished by present-day stitchers. This is not the product of the Royal School of Needlework, or some other grand, specialist institution. This is, by and large, the work of women such as you and me, who worked in shifts as time would allow. Consider not only the intricate design and stitching competences required, the knowledge of techniques, the hundreds of hours of meticulous work, and the not insignificant management task of bringing together volunteer stitchers from different continents to work together. If this is possible, then what else can we achieve which otherwise we may have dismissed as impossible, daunting or simply not possible? It is sad that just as the project approaches its completion phase the Plimoth Plantation, owing to financial difficulties, have had to cancel the the exhibition planned to show off this work. It is hoped that there will be other opportunities elsewhere to stage an exhibit. But the reality is that now, more than at any other time in the past, we must stand by our local collections and museums and support them as we have never done before. It is not inevitable that they will be here in the future for us. Click here to read the Plimoth Jacket Embroiderers' Story.