Heartlands - Bluebell
BY THE HEARTLANDS STITCHERS
Scottish bluebell Journey StoneImage provided by The Heartlands Stitchers
Liv, of the Heartlands StitchersImage provided by The Heartlands Stitchers
TELLING THE STORY OF THE HEARTLANDS PANEL
My name is Liv and for more years than I want to admit to, I have been working in theatre. Theatre is very much a team game and it was the sense of collaboration and co-operation that attracted me to the tapestry. I loved the idea of so many disparate groups and different people coming together to create a single entity.
This is my first attempt at sewing anything more demanding than a hem! I hope you like it. The Heartlands Stitchers panel is based, loosely, on faith. I am not a person of faith myself but I am interested in the way the traditions of faith can permeate everyday life. I chose to depict a bluebell because I think it is quintessentially Scottish, and as a Glaswegian I also think of it as St Kentigern’s bell that never rang. The bell is also an important symbol in the Buddhist faith as it represents wisdom and compassion.
The Bluebell of Scotland (Campanula rotundifolia) is also known as “the Witch’s Thimble” or “Harebell” in England. Liv lives in Blair Atholl and is Events Supervisor at Pitlochry Theatre.
Many thanks to the Heartland Stitchers, and to Liv, for sharing with us this incredible story behind their panel, created as part of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands.
READ MORE STORIES FROM THE TAPESTRY OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
Prior to the beginning of the stitching of each tapestry panel, each stitcher of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands was tasked with telling their interpretation of the 'Spirit of the Highlands and Islands' within a blank outline of a stone. The possibilities were truly endless - is it represented in the land? The people? A historical site? A favourite memory?
In any case, each journey stone represents the connection between each individual stitcher, their story, and their own sense, or 'spirit', of place. Discover more of the stories behind the journey stones of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands here.