Resident maker Dorothy Reglar is a familiar face at New Brewery Arts, having had a studio here for over 30 years. A garment designer whose previous career took her from Bellville Sassoon to designing for royalty and celebrities, Dorothy regularly visits the Far East, working with silk producers, weavers and natural dyers to source her beautiful fabrics but, this year the trip was done for a different reason.

Dorothy visited at the request of Eleanor Viegas, a university friend who had previously lived in Birmingham with her Goan husband, Nuno. Following his sudden death some 23 years ago, Eleanor inherited some land in southern Goa where she decided to build herself a house and has subsequently lived since 2001. From an early age, Eleanor was keenly interested in embroidery, through a teenage enjoyment of clothing design, a Masters in Textiles, and a career as an art teacher. Eleanor' asked Dorothy for her textile experience to assist in planning how the embroideries of the Banyan Tree embroidery project could join to form a coherent finished piece.

Named the Banyan Tree project because of its ability to grow like India’s national tree, a mark of strength and eternal life, the project was initially aimed at creating a panel 4m x 2m. Each woman was asked to embroider a piece of fabric 15cm x 10cm, but its popularity means the finished piece will now be much larger, with more than 300 separate pieces sewn by over 200 women.

Hand embroidery is a skill which traditionally was handed down from generation to generation, and was often to be found on table linen, altar cloths and bed linen. The arrival of the sewing machine heralded the slow decline of hand embroidery, but this project aims to keep those skills alive. The Banyan Tree project aims to connect women from Goa and beyond, of all ages and cultures and continents, through celebrating the skills, creativity and therapeutic benefits of craft.

Dorothy was keen to share the “sheer joy and almost spiritual feeling of a wonderful piece of fabric that transcends the normal”, that she herself has achieved through her work with textiles. From her previous work in the Far East, Dorothy already knows the benefits these women can realise through working together and keeping craft alive; studies in the UK show that people who have participated in textile craft say it has helped them deal with depression and anxiety, given them a sense of belonging and something to look forward to. This is echoed in the comments made by some of the women involved with the Banyan Tree project; sitting quietly embroidering with a group of friends is not only keeping these ancient Indian skills alive, but improving the mental and, ultimately, physical health of a community:

“Embroidery relaxes me and I become totally absorbed. It helps me block out the tension experienced during the day”.
“So many different colours and textures of the thread give me the inspiration and passion to work.”
“Embroidery keeps my mind happy. When the work is complete, I feel a sense of achievement.”
“Doing embroidery has not only helped me forget my problems but it has given me time, solutions and strength to face those problems.”