This is when Blackheath Embroiderer’s Guild became an independent group away from the Embroiderer’s Guild who closed all the branches. We were forced to become an independent stitch group a long with so many other branches, a lot of branches folded and some survived; it was Rebecca’s foresight and action to transition us from an in-person group before the pandemic to becoming an online group during the pandemic. Thankfully we are now known as a hybrid group with the in-person meeting starting at 1.30pm and then online starting at 2pm. I was asked by Rebecca to design a bespoke fascinator for Blackheath and it was called Blackheath Ladies.

I organised and sent out packs to the ladies and purchased the supplies for each lady to have enough for the fascinator. Doing this was part of my training for my own online live workshops and in the process, it taught me to be extra organised for the supplies. What was brilliant was I had some beads given to me a few months before and the supply was so great that it was too much for one person to use up in a life time and I was happy to donate a few of the colours to the ladies so they could sew beads onto their fascinator if they chose. I also learnt to teach this fascinator workshop again it would be ideal to market it to intimidate learners as the skill level would be too advanced for a beginner, especially in handling the satin and to thread the fine beads onto a beading needle.