Bible Yarns

The threads that bind us together

In recent years our parish church in Clun, South Shropshire has prided itself on putting together a good decorative display over the Christmas/New Year period. We have features angels, stars and doves. Christmas 2020 was going to be no exception but this time we would do something different and we would work at it together throughout the year.

Our first planning meeting was scheduled for late February. Then Covid struck! Not deterred and of course with no idea of how long the crisis would last, ten women decided to carry on, sharing ideas and designs by email and phone conversations and later by the officially allowed contact between small groups of us. The plan to recreate well known Bible stories in the form of tableaux was born. We would called the resulting exhibition Bible Yarns.

The group was mainly knitters but there was also sewers and paper maché modellers. Initially a list of 6 stories was put together and we got to work, working together remotely but some of us working alone.

Lockdown was hard for most active people and we were no exception. Being able to focus on our creations and share ideas helped enormously and helped us feel less isolated. Sadly a couple of months into lockdown one of our group lost her husband, not Covid related. Although a farmer and surrounded during the day by her supportive family, she found the evenings stressful. Her answer - to knit more sheep. So, one of our first stories would have to be The Lost Sheep. We would need 100. Or for a change she would knit angels to ascend and descent Jacob's Ladder. Having something to work on together with others, saw her through a very dark period.

 One of our group, I'll call her Carol, has a daughter living nearby whose husband is a nurse. Early on in the pandemic he caught Covid and was in hospital for several weeks on a ventilator, seriously ill in an induced coma. Carol moved in with her daughter to help care for her 4 year old granddaughter so her daughter, also a hospital worker, could continue to work. Carol sews and offered to make felt fish with her granddaughter. A whole net full would be needed. Fish appeared through my door by the shoal full! Fast forward 18 months and I was introduced to Carol's granddaughter as the person for whom they has made the fish when grandma came to stay. The little girl, now 6 years old looked rather sheepish and said that she hadn't given me all the fish. She still had two by her bedside. Reassured that it was fine by me, she said that she looks at them every night and says thank you to Jesus for making her daddy better and bringing him home.

Two local people, well into their 80s wanted to help but were no longer able to sew or knit. Maurice, severely affected by a stroke tore faces out of magazines and newspapers so we could make a huge collage to represent the 5000. Similarly, Jenny, usually an outgoing sociable 80+ year old found the isolation difficult. Her contribution was also to tear out those faces. Now envelopes of faces were coming through my letterbox as well as fish. The remit was that all were welcome (although you won't find a certain US president). See how many well known faces you can spot.

Once we were able to meet together, we were able to progress with more stories, meet regularly for coffee and cake and laughter and invite other to join us. The list grew so by our planned Christmas display of 2020 we had 16 stories captured in wool, fabric and paper. The exhibition was an instant success and during 2021 we were being asked to take it to other churches. The exhibition is free. All we ask is to share any donations to go towards expenses we have and to support our church. Now we have 25 tableaux, transporting it to different venues is beginning to be challenging, but while we can, we will respond to requests to show it.

Working on this project throughout both lockdowns was certainly therapeutic for us and has created a bond between us. We all feel that this is something positive that has come from the bleak times we all had to live through. It is our way of spreading the good news of the Gospel, reminding people of stories perhaps forgotten and hopefully raising a smile or two. The project is ongoing.

Anyone interested in knowing more about our exhibition or hosting it can contact Joan Kerry 07951 097798 [email protected]