Gwynedd Meirionnydd Panel

Description

The inspiration for Gwynedd Meirionnydd’s panel came from the abstract patterns used in fabric design in the 1950s. Along with bold shapes and bright colours, there was a big use of red, black and white and many shapes were irregularly offset on white or coloured backgrounds. Many of the designs that they used were taken from original 1950s posters. The timeline starts in 1950 with Glanllyn, this building in cross stitch was acquired as a permanent site for the meetings of Urdd Gobaith Cymru. The Urdd is the largest organisation for children and young people in Wales and gives them the chance to learn and socialise in the Welsh language. Above the image of Glan-llyn is a panel in Assisi work which acknowledges the first all Welsh National Eisteddfod in 1950.

By 1951 metal plant holders were a popular feature of the contemporary home and the metal lamp base in embroidery and appliqué was modelled on the Skylon created for the 1951 Festival of Britain which is commemorated in Bondaweb® and appliqué in the top left corner of the panel. The Festival of Britain was celebrated with great enthusiasm by members with pageants, festivals and
handicraft exhibitions held throughout the country. One of the favourite exhibits for members was The Country Wife mural, designed by Constance Howard/

Members helped create this mural which depicted a complete village and included many traditional WI activities. Also in this year Snowdonia became a National Park and the emblem of the park has been completed in cross stitch. One of the most famous products of the 50’s was Rock ‘n’ Roll which is depicted in appliqué and embroidery on this fun montage of the Teddy Boy who took his name from Edward VII, and the rock ‘n’ roll dancers with the girl in a full skirt with several layers of petticoats underneath.

To the right in embroidery, is the badge of Tal-y-Llyn Railway Preservation Society which is generally considered to be the world’s first voluntary body to operate a railway, and in the corner of
the panel in cross stitch are the images of Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tensing conquering Everest in 1953.

In the centre of the panel enclosed by the timeline is the 1953 Coronation of Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. It was watched by 8,000 in London and had a television audience of 25 million people. Lady Brunner, the Chair of NFWI at the time sent a message to the Queen from WI members pledging ‘to uphold and honour the Crown which rests today on the head of a young and lovely Queen’. The image has been completed in embroidery.

Moving down on the right hand side of the panel the two stylishly dressed women celebrate the emergence of fashion couturiers like Dior, Chanel and Hartnell who became popular following the utilitarian wartime fashions.

They produced designs which were a revelation with padded jackets which emphasized the bust and hips, and once rationing was over there was plenty of material for the full skirted new look.
Hats and gloves were still worn as formal glasses becoming more flamboyant.

Scientific imagery was a major inspiration for 1950s designers and the next piece of fabric design in appliqué and embroidery is by t feldman inspired by molecules. In 1955 the Keep Britain Tidy Group (KBTG) was formed following a resolution passed by members the previous year. Although
unsuccessful in its search for funding until 1958, the NFWI executive decided to work within existing resources. Lady Brunner became KBTG’s first chairman and it was based in the NFWI office until 1961 when it became independent and moved to Brighton. The KBTG is depicted in appliqué, machine embroidery and collage. Below this is another sample of textile design by David Parson in 1955 called kite strings, followed by a plate design both in appliqué and embroidery.
To the left of the designs is a celebration of the VI British Empire Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff in 1958 where many Welsh WI members acted as stewards. This has been worked in stumpwork, cross stitch and appliqué. The flying Welsh flag in appliqué and gold work acknowledges that in 1959 the Queen made it the official flag of Wales. Crossing over the timeline to the bottom right hand corner the first image is the logo for World Refugee Year in reverse appliqué. Its purpose was to solve, once and for all the world’s worst social problems - the Refugee camps. WIs and federations raised almost £75,000. Many ‘adopted’ refugee families and some even whole camps, continuing their support for several years.

Beneath this is the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) logo in appliqué and another sample of material showing the use of abstract shapes off set in white in appliqué and machine embroidery.
The train at the bottom of the panel in appliqué and machine embroidery signals the extension of the Ffestiniog Railway track from Porthmadog Harbour to Tany- Bwlch in 1958. Moving to the right due to the shortage of timber following the war, designers experimented with metal and plastics and eventually the modernist chairs with Eiffel Tower bases evolved, depicted here in embroidery collage. The 1950s also saw the development of fitted kitchens and labour saving appliances with the washing machine being one of the most coveted and costly of items and in 1952 the members of Tremont WI in Powys Radnor Federation had a demonstration of a washing machine in one of their monthly meetings. Towards the end of the 50’s the Twin Tub was the
ultimate in luxury and boxes of washing powder and starch were produced in packaging of bright colours to attract the housewife. These items can be seen along the bottom of the panel in appliqué
and embroidery. Above the federation badge is an abstract floral design for curtain material
in appliqué and embroidery and two plate designs, the black and white homemaker design in embroidery and the chequers plate by Terence Conran in appliqué and embroidery from 1957.

Above these is a cover of the New Scientist in appliqué and embroidery which was first published
in 1956. During this year Denman College held a course on Science and Ordinary People for county committee members and others who were prepared to stimulate interest in the subject in their counties. Lectures covered the peaceful use of atomic energy, chemistry and electricity and the NFWI was made an honorary corporate member of the British Association for the Advancement
of Science. The embroidered timeline has above and below it two verses of Meirion by WA Williams which is sung at monthlymeetings in Gwynedd Meirionnydd, the first verse is in Welsh and the second in English. The federation badge completed in petit point represents “Tra Môr, Tra
Meirion”, which means ‘as long as there is the sea there will be Meirionnydd,’ also on the badge are three goats, native to the county.