The beautiful half-timbered town of Wanfried is home to a very active embroidery group. The ladies have been meeting regularly for years and indulge in their hobby – Schwalm whitework. Some older embroiderers have meanwhile left, but younger ones have followed. Even the breaks during the corona pandemic and the loss of their teacher did not make the group give up. On the contrary: the eleven group members meet regularly every other week for two hours each, exchange information on the progress made in their work at home, help each other with problems, embroider together and motivate each other. They are also happy to pass on their knowledge to interested outsiders.
The group around Heike Wagner, who was born in Schwalm, appreciates the outstanding importance of Schwalm whitework. The ladies act as supporters should the Schwalm whitework be included in the list of intangible cultural heritage.
But regardless of the entry, they are also involved in a variety of ways to raise awareness of embroidery again and to make it known to younger people.
Recently they lovingly decorated a shop window with some of their intricate embroidery. As in all cities, there are vacancies in Wanfried. Some homeowners make their shop windows available for free decoration so that the cityscape doesn’t look too desolate. The embroidery group took advantage of such an opportunity. They show the variety of possible patterns on cushions, tea clothes, doilies, small bags, wall hangings and a christening robe.
With the public exhibition, they address locals and tourists – interested parties are invited to the embroidery meetings for more information.
