In 2016/2017 I had the huge honour of teaching 30 novice community members , alongside my friend and fellow stained glass teacher, Lesley Griffiths, how to cut, foil, lead and generally work with stained glass. In 2017 we had together, completed a huge stained glass window project for The Year of The Welsh Legends. And in June 2017, it was unveiled by, the then, Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Charles.
Having completed this I had hopes of designing a second window for the same hall, I had a vision of a Welsh parlour. It want until 2020, I approached the charity for funding, with a design in mind.
A second community project was born. We began with a new group of community members. Teaching them from novice, with them making little plates , jugs and bowls , with a view to them being overlaid onto the finished panel.
Then covid hit and the project ground to a halt.
I completed much of it at home alone.
Post covid, a few of our stalwart members re-joined Lesley and I to complete the window but both Les and I had other commitments post covid and it took a while to complete.
Yesterday (6th January 2023) we soldered the overlays onto the window and it is now ready for installation!
I am beyond excited. I remember the unveiling of the first window. Between our husbands, (Les and I both have a John), the men installed the window and shut the curtains before any of those involved saw it in situ. When it was unveiled there was an audible gasp throughout the crowd. Tears of pride and joy from the community members involved, appreciative applause directed at them by HRH and a crafting community was born into the future.
And now its time to organise the unveiling of this…
It will look so different with the light shining through it. I can’t wait to see the curtains pulled back. Watch this space for details.
