Godiva Awoke!

Its been a hectic few weeks but the Godiva Awakes carnival and celebrations at the end of July in Coventry were amazing. We trundled the huge tailors dummy with the Coat down the streets into Coventry’s Broadgate and offered the coat to Godiva – it was a nervewracking experience but the crowds were fantastic and appreciated the coat and the work of all the tailors. We were part of the carnival procession around the city that afternoon and it was wonderful to sit back and enjoy the moment after all the hard work over the years. The following days Godiva battled through heavy winds and rain and gradually made her way down to London powered by a 100 cyclists finally ending up at Waltham Town Hall. It was a surreal experience seeing this huge puppet and her entourage coming through the gates of the town hall!

During the first week of September the coat has been in exhibition at Westminster Hall as part of Arts in Parliament for London 2012. We sat and stitched tailors tacks on the first day and it was amazing to have visitors from all over the world add their stitch and talk about their sewing or non-sewing skills. As in Coventry, people were genuinely moved that they could participate and add a stitch – after all the very many new experiences making this coat, I think this has been one of the absolute highlights – a simple gesture of an invitation to stitch and people responding so postively.

All images by Andrew Moore except Godiva by the clock – I have tried to find the photographer but cannot find their name – thank you in advance for taking this great shot from the crowds!

Let the stitches begin!

Finally this weekend is here! Have been working towards this since late 2009! Today I will be stitching more tailors tacks in the old cathedral ruins in Coventry. (From 11.00am) Two other artists who worked on the panels of the coat will be with me (Deb Squires http://www.debsquires.co.uk and Julie Joannides http://www.juliejoannides.blogspot.co.uk)) and the event is open & free to the public to come along and add a tailors tack to the lining. Tonight there is the actual awakening of Godiva – a huge performance and celebration and then tomorrow from 11.00am the coat will be presented to Godiva and we will dress her ready for her journey to London. I woke up today to glorious sunshine and I am keeping everything crossed that tomorrow is the same.

Rainy days

In case this July rain doesn’t go away myself and the Coat team have made a 5 metre mac for Godiva this week. Its a copy of the coat pattern with a smaller seam allowance and made out of shiny new transparent PVC! I am hoping that as I have now made this it wont actually rain on the day! Fingers crossed.

The days are going quickly to Godiva Awakes

The days to Godiva Awakes are going so quickly now and each one is filled with the final preparations to complete her coat. For information on the weekend activities do checkout http://www.imagineerproductions.co.uk – the coat will be presented and dressed by myself and the rest of the tailors on Sunday 29th July at 12 noon in Broadgate, Coventry – no tickets are required for this part of the performances – its just be early to get in! Find out more at http://www.imagineerproductions.co.uk

Below are some pics that track the Godiva coats progress from the early days until now…I can’t wait to reveal the whole coat in August. (If you subscribe to the Embroiderers Guild ‘Embroidery’ Magazine we are featured in the July 2012 copy.

The Coat team are all fab individual artists and you can find out more about them on their own sites:
Maggie Dunne – Maggie has researched the glove making industry from Worcester and has been responsible for the collar, cuffs and buttons on the coat.

Rachel Grant – Rachel has researched the pottery heritage in Stoke and her personal connections to it. She has worked on 2 of the coat’s 5 metre panels.

Adam Hussain – Adam is making Godiva’s cufflinks and researched Smethwick and Stourbridge glass making.

Julie Joannides– Julie has had access to the archives from Blitz Games and the Oliver Twins who are early game designers. She has embellished 2 of the coat panels.

Debbie Squires – Debbie has focussed her research on the Black Country chainmaking and nail forging industries and has also embellished 2 of the panels.

As well as designing the coat, I have focussed my artwork on the lining of the coat. I have stitched over 7000 tailors tacks and used white screenprinted images from my research of the artists and makers working on the whole Godiva Awakes project. The tacks signify the number of participants and artists on the project.

Images by Andrew Moore