Famous -
Here is a piece I made in a series about people important to Elizabeth the First. It was sort of a textile journal 'as if made by her'.
This particular piece is my take on a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots. I love the gown she was wearing and would have really liked to recreate it! But you can only store so many unworn costumes. So, this journal quilt fulfilled the need to do the 'pink Mary gown'.
The Unknown is my friend Karin.
Karin is a nurse from the Netherlands. She lived with us for a while when she was working here in the UK. While here, she became drawn to work in Ethiopia...initially thinking she would help re-establish a hospital in the North of the country where there was so much damage following the war with Eritrea.
But after she got there, one by one she found or was directed to children who were orphaned, abandoned, or living on the streets. She also developed programmes to get young teenage women off the street and back in school or in a business where they could earn money. Eventually after moving to larger and larger premises and with the blessing of the local government, she was able to get land and start a whole village! I think they have over 50 children now.
Another lady (Ruth, from Scotland, who we also know) has 'retired' from working in a hospital where ground breaking surgery was being done for fistula paitents in a hospital in the capital city, Addis Ababa. Now she works with Karin. Most of the fistual patients were able to go back to their villages after successful surgeries, no longer outcasts. But for some, the surgery could only do so much because of the damage. But these young women now have more hope because they have become the mothers for the children in the Village near Shire, Tigray where Karin is!
There is also a school in the village where children from the surrounding area come. They have been able to accept disabled children as well. One of the older blind girls from the village was recently recognised by the government for her ability in running and was being trained to run in the Paralympics. You know how well those Ethiopians run! I am not sure if she will be in the one coming up, but still it is a wonderful thing!
If you want to know more about Grace Village and what they are doing there, you can go to this website. Abraham's Oasis The background stories can be found on the side links.
Have you any 'unknowns' you want to brag about?
