Welcome to the story of The Community Shawl Project

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The Community Shawl is my response to The Red Dress (created by Kirsty MacLeod), for which I was very fortunate to have been able to arrange exhibitions and presentations on 3 occasions in Wales, the most recent in Brecon in September 2025. Previously the Dress had its first visit to Wales when I curated its exhibition at the Bleddfa Centre in the winter of 2021, and then at The Melville Centre in Abergavenny in 2022.

I have been curating the Shawl project since the summer of 2022, when the seed of the idea appeared in my imagination!
In the autumn, I was joined by Ginevra from The Wool Croft, who generously offered both some free materials, and her time, in helping me manage the project.

I invited members of the public to join us in creating a fabric square, in any medium, for the creation of the Community Shawl; each square to have an element of red.

My aim is for everyone’s work to unite our communities, and for the completed Shawl to then be taken to exhibitions and events, celebrating our traditions of tales, community, and friendship.
The Shawl also symbolises being held in a safe space by your community.

I was delighted, grateful, and bowled over, to have received over 120 squares!
Each one, intricate and beautiful, tells its own story and is a little symbol of love and connection. They range from knitted to embroidered, lace to felted.
The residents at Penpergym care home crocheted a very generous 50 squares, which have been interspersed throughout the completed Shawl; each piece has been sewn onto my grandmother's cape, which she wore when Sister of the hospital wards, including Pen Y Fal hospital, where she retired in 1978. 

Her cape was made by Doreen Rice, in the huge sewing room at the hospital.

I have named the Shawl Marjorie, in memory of my Nanna.

I can’t think of a better addition to the provenance of this Community shawl, and we are hearing all kinds of wonderful anecdotes from those who remember Pen Y Fal.
It also ensures the history of the cape lives on, and the communities are linked together further.

Cathie, who also works at The Wool Croft has been stitching the amazing pieces of work onto the cape, to transform it into the Shawl.

Follow us on Instagram to follow the story, events, and exhibitions too: 

@thecommunityshawl_project