Ceredigion Federation Panel

Description

Ceredigion’s oak tree on the left hand side of the panel, is representative of the strength of WI friendship and the WI’s strong roots. It also symbolises support for the environment, which WI members fought to conserve with various
campaigns for the countryside throughout the decade, for example the theme of the AGM
in 1965 was The Countryside Tomorrow and in 1969 The Countryside: a Code for WIs was
widely used by local authorities and countryside organisations.

The tree is worked in commercial and handcrafted fibres spun, dyed, knitted and stitched and supports the 3D owl hand stitched and embellished and the embroidered generic
bird. At its base sits a knitted hedgehog and stitched mouse, whilst its trunk supports vintage embroidery finely trimmed and fray checked. The upcycled vintage embroidered handkerchiefs, cut up and
stitched together and over dyed in green and embellished with more embroidery and beading,
represent a traditional flower meadow; this form of crazy quilting was popular in the 1960s.

The hedgerow machine embroidered on water soluble material depicts a quote from the Naturalists Trust (now the Wildlife Trust) that ‘WI’s can play a particularly important part in
ensuring that the natural features of their village, the wildflowers, birds and animals which go with them, are not despoiled by carelessness,
ignorance, mistake or simply
neglect’. The chenille pony paddock
with three ponies constructed in Laura Ashley fabrics, happily grazing, remind us that in 1961 Llanfihangel, Talyllyn, and Llanwern(Brecon) WIs took up pony trekking. The red kite has been
needle felted in hand dyed wools.
The cloth dolls in the National costumes of Wales and Holland are handmade using traditional techniques and incorporating Welsh woollens and hand made lace, they are reminiscent of the WI holidays that were popular
throughout Europe in the 1960s. In 1964, 35 Dutch ladies were hosted by Penparcau WI, Ceredigion Federation. Rising up behind the dolls is a balloon which commemorates the WI Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1965.More sober memories of the 1960s included the adverse
weather - the snow of 1963 saw WI members opening their homes to stranded school children
represented by the crochet snowflakes in various designs at the top right of the panel. The floods of 1966 caused disaster including the
horrendous Aberfan slide of mine waste mud which took the lives of 116 children and 28 adults, the heavy rain and mudslide are shown
top right in stuffed and dyed silk appliqué and embellished, and the rain drops are in various dyed silks. Floral tributes were laid in the form of a cross on the mountainside worked as 3D embroidery on brass rings. Families were housed in caravans and Glamorgan
Federation donated 36 convector
heaters, food and blankets and the mini blankets on the panel have been handspun and handwoven.
WI members also helped those less fortunate world wide, the ladf and child at the top of the panel appliquéd in Fairtrade fabric help us recall the 1962 - 1967 Freedom from Hunger campaign which raised £185,000. The Karamojo project in Uganda was launched by the
NFWI in support of the campaign with the aim of establishing and equipping a Farm Institute to show the benefits of a well run agricultural
community. WI Markets raised £3,000 to build and equip a trading store in Bechuanaland(Botswana) and in 1968 Lady Anglesey initiated the Winward Islands clothing
scheme, which ran successfully into the 70s. It was noted that ‘material help, as well as the stimulation received from their association and relationship with other people across the world will long be remembered’.
The flowers bottom right of the panel have been made by folding and stitching psychedelic fabrics representing the “flower power” and
prevalent colours of the decade and the timeline has been worked in a variety of fabrics including modern welsh woollens from South Wales mills, depicting the country lanes of the county.

The federation badge has as its centre the Celtic Cross and the Canadian Maple, surrounded by
Ceredigion’s (CFWI) four Groups, each also represented by trees - Derwen (Oak), Helyg (Willow), Bedwen (Birch) and Onnen(Ash).
The badge has been hand painted on silk then embellished with embroidery and edged with
handmade braid.