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Dr Jessica Grimm
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Weekly Embroidery News...

A small success in stitch

11/4/2016

16 Comments

 
Many of you know that I started a weekly embroidery afternoon class for the refugee women in our village late last year. We have been meeting more or less regularly, depending on my workload, for the past few months. It soon turned out that embroidery, or indeed crafts, wasn't an option for all of them. Why make 'superfluous stuff' when you have been in survival mode for most of your life? For me, it was especially hard to connect to the African ladies. My super-efficient organised analytical mind does not seem to go well with the African way of life. That says more about my limitations than about the African way of life. And sorry for grouping a whole continent together too.
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And here are my lovely ladies: Tetyana from Ukraine, Rushda from Pakistan and Segal from Somalia. When you look closely, you can see that I myself have made integration progress too. Yes, after years of living on and off in Germany and England, I have finally understood the benefits of windows with curtains. No small feat for the Dutch, I tell you!

Thanks to some very generous gifts from some of you, my ladies are all working on their own projects. Let me show you what they have been stitching. Tetyana has been an avid stitcher all her life, although being a chemistry teacher and mum of twin daughters did not leave her with a lot of spare time on her hands. She works on an Easter placemat. Easter? Yes, lucky Tetyana celebrates Easter in early May with the rest of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Plenty of time left to finish on time!
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Rushda has the advantage of being fluent in English. She loves to peruse my extensive embroidery library. And she loves bullion knots. She is the queen of bullion knots! Don't her sunflowers look pretty? It is not easy for her to leave the house on her own as that is not accepted social behaviour for a decent woman in Pakistan. With two young children to care for, she finds little time to stitch. We are now trying to find a second-hand playpen so that her one-year old son can safely play in my studio when mum is stitching. After all, scissors and needles are pretty dangerous.
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And last but not least, Segal, a teen from Somalia. Definitely a country you do not want to live born a woman. She wants to tell us so much about her life, but is handicapped by our limited understanding of Somali. I am especially happy that she has returned to my class. And that we have found something she loves to do and excels in. Last week, she started to draw traditional Somali floral patterns and copied them onto fabric. Can't wait to see them full-colour in thread.
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And in between the stitching we talk a lot about our former lives and the differences to our lives here in Germany. We eat cookies. Very important. And we sip a nice cuppa. Integration is fun.
16 Comments
Darlene Dubicki
11/4/2016 15:43:56

Thank you for telling us so much about your beautiful stitching class. You are bringing the world together!

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 16:58:31

You're welcome, Darlene!

Reply
Mabel
11/4/2016 16:38:51

Wat fantastisch!!!! zie je wel er zijn echt nog wel toegewijde dames die graag iets willen leren.

Lieve groetjes van Angel (kleindochter)

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 16:59:16

Groeten terug aan Angel en tot gauw!

Reply
Mary Martin link
11/4/2016 17:52:27

Hi Jess!

Great post and I was wondering, do you need donations for your group? Fabric, or thread, or both? I have a ton of both right now and would be happy to send you a box of goodies for the ladies to use. And just bravo for doing this :)

Hugs - I miss you on Facebook!
Mary

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 17:06:43

Hi Mary,
That's such a kind offer! Unfortunately, you live outside the EU. When you send me anything over €45 (including postage!), I need to pay 19% tax over the value plus €28,50 duties. So, smaller donations very welcome! By the way, I've read your article that Mary Corbet linked to on her website. Lovely design and perfectly executed. Well done you!
Big hug, Jessica

Reply
liz n.
11/4/2016 18:09:39

I was thinking about your stitching ladies just the other day! Very pretty stitching that they're doing...I'm very curious to see how Segal's design will work up!

And, ugh, of course you need a playpen now that I'm looking for a donee...all the way over here in Texas. *Sigh* I don't think that quite works, does it?

It goes without saying, Jessica, but you're doing such a good thing here. The world could follow your example.

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 17:09:58

Thank you Liz! I am not writing about the group to get praise, my main goal is to show how integration can happen. And I very much hope others are inspired by it. The problems in the world can seem so big and overwhelming. However, if you take one small step a time, you can walk a mile. I hope to find a playpen closer to home :).

Reply
velia antila
11/4/2016 18:57:39

I commend you on this project you are engaged in. There is nothing more satisfying than helping and teaching something to those in need, regardless of their status.

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 17:10:34

Thank you Velia!

Reply
Marlies Curfs link
11/4/2016 19:59:58

Geweldig wat je doet om mensen die zoveel hebben mee gemaakt
en alles hebben moeten achterlaten Toch weer fijne momenten te bezorgen

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 17:11:40

Dank je wel, Marlies!

Reply
Catherine link
11/4/2016 22:03:32

Thank you for that little update! I love what you are doing with these wonderful and inspiring ladies, and their work is just beautiful.

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 17:12:27

Thank you, Catherine! I am very much enjoying their progress and their original ideas.

Reply
Lorna
12/4/2016 01:28:59

Well done , these ladies really need to be together and you have done that I have spent some time in Africa and there is no such thing as time there , very very few even have a watch . Last week in Tanzania a function was held and the district commissioner turned up 1 hour late , some times he just drives by and waves all the children line up and stand in the sun waiting , beautiful people and so loving , so to have this lovely young woman there ,alone no male guards etc is remarkable , keep it up

Reply
Jessica Grimm link
12/4/2016 17:15:14

Thank you, Lorna! I've only been to Northern Africa (Egypt and Libya), but I have mentored people from other African countries before. A whole different world, but one we can certainly learn a lot from.

Reply



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