Patchwork
Meadow
Help us create a Bayeux Tapestry
of Britain’s plants
1
Plantlife is the charity
speaking up for wild plants
Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales
We hope you are inspired and that you would like to take part.
Please tell your friends or anyone you think might be interested.
www.plantlife.org.uk/patchworkmeadow
www.wildflowereurope.org
Contact Information:
[email protected]
Plantlife: 01722 342730
This project is supported by
the EU Culture Programme
Plantlife International – The Wild Plant Conservation Charity.
Charitable company limited by guarantee.
Registered in England and Wales, charity no. 1059559
Registered in Scotland, charity no. SCO38951
Registered Company no 3166339.
What is the Patchwork Meadow project?
Do you like fabric craft? Could you help us create a Bayeux tapestry
for our times?
We’re asking people to send us individual squares of patchwork inspired by Britain’s
wild plants and flowers.
We’ll then sew them together to create a giant patchwork “meadow” celebrating our
extraordinary floral heritage.
Patchwork Meadow is part of a wider European project with Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania
and Slovenia called Wild Flower Europe. This helps to conserve plant-rich landscapes
by bringing economic benefit to rural areas through wildflower festivals.
Frequently asked questions
Making squares
with friends or as
part of a group?
Just remember to include
your organisation name or
give your project a title on the
information sheet, as this will
allow you to find all your group
squares on the online gallery.
Where to find inspiration
How do I contribute a flower square?
Inspiration can come from fairytale and
myth, history or literature, or simply a
flower or plant that is special to you...
Perhaps you are named after a wild
plant, or are connected to one of the
Scottish clans with a clan badge plant?
Do you, or any of your family, have
any personal stories about wild plants,
for example a favourite flower, or a
childhood game, or perhaps someone in
your family collected rosehips or moss
or herbs in the war?
1. Decide on your choice of wild plant(s) and design.
2. Have fun creating your design using any textile technique.
Don’t forget to include your name and the name(s) of your plant(s) on
your square.
3. Mount on suitable strength cardboard (see below).
4. Enter your information about your square online* at www.plantlife.org.uk/
patchworkmeadow and print it off with its own unique number.
5. Send your completed “flower square” with its information sheet to
Patchwork Meadow, Plantlife, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury,
Wiltshire SP1 1DX before the end of March 2013.
6. You can also upload video or audio, tell us the story of your square or
recite a poem or song.
We have a wide range of factsheets
available for inspiration at www.
plantlife.org.uk/patchworkmeadow
Themes include: life, love,
remembrance, food, medicine,
materials, plants of faith, literature, art,
poetry, royalty, names, warfare and
plants of place and time.
Museums, libraries, art galleries,
churches and books such as Flora
Britannica and Flora Celtica can also
be potential sources of inspiration.
* If you have any problems entering your information online or printing off your
information sheet, please contact us at [email protected]
or 01722 342739 and we can send a hard copy.
Hints and tips for making your flower square
• Use a 15cm template.
• Depending on your technique, cut your background material larger (eg
20cm square or larger) to be able to fit an embroidery frame and to have
enough to mount the material on cardboard.
• Acid-free mount or foam board is best for mounting your square but any
rigid, unprinted cardboard will work.
If you would like to learn more about textiles techniques there are
numerous local art and craft groups. The Embroiderers Guild has 190
branches across the UK, and organisations such as the Royal School of
Needlework offer a range of courses.
Can I choose any wild plant?
Yes, it could be a flower, grass, tree, shrub, mushroom,
moss, seaweed, lichen or a fern, ie any member of the
plant or fungi kingdoms.
You can find out if your plant is native or naturalised
if it is found on the online Atlas of the British and Irish
Flora (www.brc.ac.uk/plantatlas).
Which techniques and materials can I use?
Any technique that is fabric based, for example
embroidery, lace-making, beading, weaving, felting,
knitting, crochet, printing or painting or pens on fabric.
What can I include in my design?
This is where you have fun. Your design can be any
colour and any fabric. It may be a realistic depiction of
a plant, or a plant in a landscape, or a design inspired
by its cultural associations, or an abstract design
based on all or any part of the plant.
Remember...
Please include your name and the name of your
plant(s) on your square. You may include any other
text that you choose, for example your organisation,
or a line from a poem or the name of the story.
Important things to know
• Copyright of images All modern designs and images
(eg embroidery kits) are under copyright. You must have
written permission to copy them.
• Historical images Even when the image is very old
there may still be copyright issues. If you are in any
doubt please ask the owner of the image (eg museum,
library) for permission. This is often freely given. The
British Library Manuscript Department (www.bl.uk/
catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm)
and the Victoria & Albert Museum (http://collections.
vam.ac.uk) and the William Morris Society (www.
williammorrissociety.org) have given permission
for use of their plant images for this project.
• What am I agreeing to by taking part? You are
agreeing that your square and its information sheet (no
address or email information will be displayed) can be
displayed online, used in publications and in touring
and permanent physical exhibitions in suitable venues.
We are sorry but it will not be possible to return any of
the flower squares.