Dannevirke resident’s tapestry that took three years to make

Elaine Weber with her completed Heirlooms Tapestry.

Nearly 20 years ago, finding herself an empty nester after her children left home, Elaine Weber decided to join the Probus tapestry group.

Back then, she says, she had a very good tutor in the late Gwen Fairbrother - a teacher and known around Dannevirke as a supporter of many groups - who passed on her expertise and standards to all members of the group.

Most people are familiar with cross stitch and many have had a go stitching a pre-painted tapestry base with thread.

When you get to Elaine’s level the kit comes with the tapestry base blank and there are multiple pages of instructions on how to create the picture. The thread is extremely fine, the stitches tiny with the instructions requiring multiple threads in a particular sequence.

At the start of 2020, Elaine began her Heirloom Collectible tapestry and when the lockdown occurred it was a very good activity when she was isolated on the farm.

This tapestry came with 36 pages of instructions and 90 colours of fine double thread. This was not going to be an overnight activity, especially as the predominantly dark colours made it impossible for her to do it in front of the television.

She persevered, one block at a time, but admits to frequently putting it aside and then picking it up again later.

The Dannevirke Probus Embroidery Group got wind that the tapestry was near completion in May, almost three and a half years since Elaine started, and they decided to have a party at their regular fortnightly meeting morning.

A replica as a hummingbird cake.

Cunningly taking a picture of the tapestry and sending it to Whanganui, where a company makes edible icing creations, group member Cheryl Bond made a celebratory hummingbird cake and the icing was very carefully attached.

Elaine brought along her completed and framed masterpiece to her host Helen Monteith’s house earlier this month, where the tapestry was much admired, followed by a celebratory morning tea.

Elaine cuts the cake as her Probus Embroidery Group looks on.

Elaine has already started a similar-sized Heirlooms Collectible tapestry, but it will not take her three and a half years as it is brighter and able to be stitched while watching television.