Gina Pederick

Following my ongoing desire to learn more about and celebrate my female ancestors, Tea with the Grandmothers – more than a date is the opportunity to sit with the women in my direct maternal line and consider their lives in more detail – not simply their birth and death dates.

There are many ways to capture and share family stories, but I chose to stitch these stories onto a tablecloth. I wanted my effort to be evidence that they are loved and important enough for someone to stitch their story by hand onto a tablecloth; that their grandchildren, their great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren will know their names and understand something of their lives.

The plates are Cornishware, a dinner set given to my parents when they married - a familiar and much-loved pattern in our family.

You are invited to pause for a cup of tea at the blank plate and consider what you would stitch onto your plate or your mother’s or grandmother’s plate.