BEWDLEY residents are being urged to pick up their needles and thread to make a self-portrait for a new town tapestry.

The Bewdley Tapestry, which has been displayed in Bewdley Medical Centre since 1998, was put together by Kidderminster Road resident and textile artist Cynthia Pearson.

Town residents, shopkeepers, councillors, schoolchildren, and even Fritz the town cat were among the embroidered figures and it took Cynthia, who is Bewdley Festival's visual arts director, six months to stitch the images together.

The tapestry is split into three and the figures are placed in front of images of the town's streets from the 1950s.

Cynthia is now creating a second tapestry to mark the end of the flood defence works and the background will be Severnside South from Lax Lane to Bewdley Bridge.

She said: "I thought it would be nice to do a new one. It is a good way of getting people involved in a community project."

Anyone who lives, works or visits the town can appear on the tapestry along with an item or clothing that represents their job or hobby as well as pets.

Cynthia, who has already completed her own portrait, which includes her cat Pandora, said she was looking forward to starting it, adding: "I really like receiving the portraits. You never know what you are going to get."

She has asked schoolchildren in the town to create animals for the edge of the tapestry inspired by creatures that live in the Wyre Forest, River Severn or at West Midland Safari Park.

The former art teacher has also invited the town's mayor and mayoress as well as Wyre Forest MP, Dr Richard Taylor, to take part.

The image for the background has been provided by contractors Volker Stevin, who have been working on the flood defences.

Portraits must be stitched using fabric and thread and figures will need to be created on an inch to a foot scale.

People will able to get ideas as well as fabric at workshops, the first of which will be held during the Rediscover Bewdley event on Saturday, March 25.

Further sessions will be held throughout April, May and June and the deadline for handing in the work will be Tuesday, July 4.

Cynthia hopes to complete the tapestry by Christmas when an unveiling ceremony will take place at the medical centre.

For further information contact Cynthia on 01299 400743.