The Red Dress

I had seen on Ceridwen's blip that The Red Dress https://reddressembroidery.com/ was in Swansea, and that today is its last day here before moving to London, so Sarah and I made a pilgrimage to the National Waterfront Museum to see it.

We were especially pleased that the dress had been moved to the foyer, where we could have a 360 degree view of it, and that we could meet and talk to the artist, Kirstie Macleod, who originally conceived the project (she is here in the blue dress).

Today, also, there is a workshop where the final pieces of embroidery will be added by a local women's refugee group.

Over 270 women in 29 countries have embroidered this dress and have been paid a fair wage for doing so. We watched a film which told some of their stories - war, widowhood, fleeing their countries, but able to keep a hold of their dignity, identity and financial security through their embroidery skills. Very moving indeed.