Embroidery depicts mystery, sacrifice

SACRIFICE: Doreen Pennell with her Anzac remembrance embroidery at her home in Hastings. PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

Doreen Pennell has commemorated Anzac in her own special way.

The pensioner has more time on her hands since retiring so decided to do something useful for the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.

The Hawke's Bay Embroidery Guild member has again ventured into a world of embroidery and made a stunning Anzac-themed piece.

"Embroidery has moved on from the fancy work and stitching of my youth," Ms Pennell said.

Sacrifice is the name of her piece because she wanted to capture the "purity" of the soldiers' lives.

She also wanted to capture the "mystery" behind the soldiers' tales during the war.

Sacrifice represents the "blood from the fallen" and the "struggle and the tears" of the many wives and mothers who suffered the loss of their husbands and sons.

Ms Pennell has dedicated her piece to Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett, a soldier in World War I who lived to tell his story.

Ms Pennell managed to find a series of awards he was given, at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

The awards were donated by his daughter, Cherry, who, according to his biography, had found them under Mr Bassett's family home. Ms Pennell has never met him but the two share a common ancestor - her great-great-great-grandfather.

Ms Pennell took the plunge in entering her piece into a competition that she found while flicking through a Threads magazine.

The competition was based on the colour red.

Ms Pennell thought of the many ways she could portray such a tragic story of bravery and heroism through the colour red and has done so successfully.

Her inspiration for the story is beautiful and her contribution to the yearly celebration of the many who died for us is a heartwarming tribute to their lives.

Lest we forget the ones who died for us.

Corallee Collins-Annan