Casgliadau Arlein

Embroidered tablecloth made by Haf Weighton and clients of Oasis Cardiff – a charity founded in 2008 that aims to help refugees and asylum seekers.

In 2022, Amgueddfa Cymru commissioned the textile artist Haf Weighton to design a collaborative stitching project with refugees and asylum seekers who attend the Oasis centre in Cardiff. During April and May 2022, she conducted a series of workshops (at St Fagans and Oasis) where individuals contributed hand and machine-sewn depictions of plates of food – representing the food cultures of countries such as Albania, Honduras, Morocco, Russia, Sudan and Syria. The work showcases the skills and creativity of the people who took part, and symbolises the act of coming together around the dinner table – to share as one community.

Large white fabric with a textured pattern weave. Selvages along upper and lower edge (full width of woven fabric = 224cm). Side-edges have a machine-stitched double-turnback. 10cm wide calico pole sleeve hand-stitched to reverse of upper edge. The pole sleeve is made up of 3 sections: a long, central one with short 13.5/14cm sections joined on at either side (using machine stitches). Along the edges, there are machine and hand embroidered and appliquéed depictions of plates (with and without food) and cutlery: 5 plates along each of the sides and lower edge, and 6 plates along the upper edge. Embroidery and appliqué would have been carried out first, before machine-stitching the elements to the white ground fabric. There is a large machine-embroidered plate in the centre surrounded by a further 8 plates. The centre plate is made with appliquéed pieces of paper printed with a pawpaw pattern. There are hand-stitched inscriptions on all four corners of the table cloth: Sain Ffagan, Hâf Weighton, Ffoaduriaid, Oasis, Ceiswyr Lloches, Gwirfoddolwyr. There is dark grey under-drawing underneath the embroidery. The embroidery also incorporates sequins, lenghts of yarn, patches of different types of fabrics: (wool, synthetic, hessian, cotton, lace, net, ribbons), metallic thread, felt pompoms, glass beads, paper. Some of the appliquéed areas appear to have a non-textile interface (possibly involving adhesive).