“Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
I have been inspired by the ‘Keep Well’ campaign which is part of the Government’s plan for living with COVID-19 to promote individual and community resilience. DCCI is partnering with Sláintecare and Healthy Ireland to deliver this nationwide programme through libraries. I have been captivated by Mountmellick Work since my first visit to the Mountmellick Embroidery Museum in 2017. As I have been spending a lot of time observing the natural world during lockdown I was drawn back to the beauty of this craft. These traditional motifs are embedded in the hedgerows and countryside in that area of County Laois. I decided to punctuate my day with ‘Mindful Mountmellick Moments’ and switch off, be creative and learn something new. I have revised stitches, learned new ones as I consider a bigger project in this medium. Mountmellick embroidery is worked on a durable white cotton fabric called jean using white cotton thread. It will last the test of time and so much more sustainable than synthetic fabrics.
My initial classes in Mountmellick Work were with Kay O’Donovan at the Traditional Lacemakers of Ireland (TLI). Veronica Stuart (TLI) donated Weldon’s Encyclopaedia of Embroidery to HLP Library and I found the section on Mountmellick Work very interesting. HLP was delighted to welcome Dolores Dempsey and Margaret Gorman from Mountmellick to Headford in 2018. They held a day long workshop which proved to be very popular.
Regrettably, Headford Lace Project had to cancel a planned visit to Mountmellick Embroidery Museum in 2019 due to the pandemic. This collaboration is supported by DCCI Network Support Grant. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to rescheduling this visit.