About Designs for Life

Designs for Life will consist of 30 panels in total. 15 panels will each occupy spaces either side of the main staircase as shown in this drawing courtesy of JacobsGIBB Ltd / Crispin Wride Architectural Design.

Each panel will measure 50cm x 50cm and will be worked in a variety of techniques including patchwork, quilting, silk painting, hand and machine embroidery. The majority of these panels will be finished by November 2006 when they will tour the county. Following the tour they will be on permanent display at Diamond Light Source.

Designs for Life Diary

Saturday 22 April 2006

On Saturday 22 April, the first project landmark took place at The Oxford Trust's warehouse, in Oxford. The eight WI group coordinators selected the panels they were going to work on together with the fabrics and threads for dyeing.

Fabrics I have chosen include cotton calico, cotton scollata, cotton scrim, silk habutai, silk organza and silk velvet. To ensure consistency of colours I have chosen black, scarlet, blue, lemon, brilliant pink and brilliant emerald reactive dyes which will be mixed to give the full range of colours. The sample colour and fabric swatches are shown right.

Lynn Taylor WI dyeing material	Jose Brandao-Neto, Diamond Beamline Scientist and Pamela Waite, WI, printing background fabric for the molecular structures panel

Wednesday 26 April 2006

The first stitch was embroidered by Pauline Goddard Oxfordshire Federation Chairman at the Weston-on-the-Green group meeting. Following this 75 other ladies attending the meeting contributed a stitch or two each whilst being entertained by the Kirtlington Morris men.

It is intended that this panel, representing part of the photosynthesis protein, will travel the county, appearing at group meetings, local institutes, on coach trips and events.

The background will be built up of layers of cross stitches similar to that shown, allowing ladies to contribute a stitch to the project on an individual basis.

Friday 23 June 2006

An opportunity to meet those involved with the project and see the designs at Wantage Museum. Some of the ladies from Wantage WI will be working on samples for their panel.

Monday 24 July 2006

This was the first opportunity to see the progress of the panels so far at the Midsummer Fayre at Denman College and to put a stitch into the group panel. A beautiful sunny day when over 100 WI ladies and other members of the public contributed their stitch to the panel.

Firefighters from the Abingdon Fire Service	... and a stitch from probably the youngest contributer yet!

Thursday 14 September 2006

Diamond summer barbecue and opportunity for all the scientists and their families to get together and contribute a stitch to the second diffraction pattern panel.

Wednesday 25 October 2006

Meeting at Diamond and the first chance for some of the scientists and WI ladies to view a selection of the finished panels before they were sent to be framed.

It also provided an opportunity for scientists to continue their stitching on the second diffraction pattern panel following the barbecue.

Sue Myburg and one of the Diamond Scientists working on the diffraction pattern panel	Members of Chilton WI with the completed Pollen panel

Thursday 7 December 2006

Preview at Science Oxford for the group leaders to see 23 of the 30 panels completed and on display for the first time.

Claire Dimond (Oxford Trust), myself and Maureen White (Chair Home & Garden Committee) with three of the completed panels.

Friday 19th October 2007

The panels were originially displayed in the synchrotron building where they were available for public viewing on the Diamond open days. They were sited here when Her Majesty the Queen opened the facility.

I was priviledged to present the panels to Her Majesty and introduce her to the group leaders who had worked so hard on them.

I was also invited to make a gift for Her Majesty of an embroidered panel representing the photosynthesis structure. It is shown below, machine embroidered organza between etched arcylic.

Tuesday 20 November 2007

Inauguration party for WI members who contributed to the panels at Diamond Light Source

The panels were moved to the atrium in November, where they will remain on permanent display.