PRESIDENT Florence Rees opened the meeting on Wednesday, October 14. The speaker was our member Pat Harvis, a talented embroiderer.

Her topic was Japanese embroidery, which she has studied with great interest.

Firstly, Pat told us about her visit to Kyoto five years ago, describing the furniture and different customs. She heard that the first threads of silk were discovered by accident in 2624BC when empress Si-Ling was drinking tea beneath a mulberry tree in Peking. A silk worm cocoon fell into her lap and, as she tried to fish it out with a chopstick, she unravelled metres of strong fine thread and realised that she had discovered a miracle thread previously unknown. Silk!

Pat gave us each a card of silk thread samples, the first in its natural fine form, the rest twisted strands of two, three and four fibres. One strand sewn in different directions takes on different shades depending where it is viewed. The needles are of softer steel than we usually use so that the silk background is not damaged when punctured.

Pat showed us some of her work to date. One was an exquisite floral arrangement that looked 3D and another a delicate fan design.

We were all extremely impressed by the beauty and difference of this intricate work.

The next meeting is the annaul meeting at Broadheath Village Hall on Wednesday, November 11, at 2.30pm. Visitors welcomed.

PATRICIA ASH