The brief for this commission was to include the crossed keys of St Peter and the biblical reference to Peter being a fisherman when he called to be a disciple.
These pieces began as a series of sketched ideas with a shoal of fish caught in a fishing net. The finished design for the altar fall was chosen as it was felt it captured the feeling of the fish swirling around inside the net. The lectern fall using the same fish but a much-simplified version of the altar fall.
These pieces combine the use of goldwork techniques in the crossed keys, where layers of felt are stitched down first and then the gold kid leather applied on top. The raw edges of the leather are then surrounded by hand couched twist thread. Also used is the reverse applique technique for the fish, which are worked as individual pieces, attached once they are finished. The water is machine embroidered applique and then the whole design is completed by adding the net, which is created using hand couched gold metallic 3ply twist. These threads extend beyond the edge of the square design giving a further dimension.
