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Heritage volunteers work on local projects to conserve and preserve our heritage; these projects could, for example, involve working in churches, historic houses, archives or libraries. Volunteers need enthusiasm and interest but not specific qualifications as appropriate training can be given. If anyone is interested in joining the team please contact Kay on info@stradfas.org.uk

Guild Chapel Rug

The new altar rug for the Stratford-upon-Avon Guild Chapel was inaugurated on April 15th 2026. The creation of this new rug was organised by the Friends of the Guild Chapel, and the design by Jessica Bull-Anderson (on the left in the photo), granddaughter of STRADFAS member Kay Anderson, was financed by STRADFAS. The rug was woven by local weaver Ellie Carr-Smith (right).

Tudor Costume Project

This was an exciting interactive Tudor costume project to work on, made even more enjoyable for me by benefitting from the help of my two volunteers, Lucy, and Fiona.

Emily White, Curator at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, contacted me through Stradfas and told me of her vision for the project. Her idea was for the tourist to feel part of the Tudor scene and be able to dress up if they wished in these costumes to look like one of the paintings displayed around the walls of the Shakespeare Birthplace. The project becomes interactive allowing them to take a selfie, stepping back in time to the 17th century. A dressing table and mirror are in place in the exhibition hall, and the Tudor costumes are made open at the centre back visitors can slip them on over their own garments.

This is quite unlike the first Tudor costume I made for Susanna, Shakespeare’s daughter, which was purely for display and is still displayed at the Birthplace.

Reconstructing any historical costume takes time and patience, finding the right fabrics to work on, plus using the correct techniques to enable the finished costumes to hang correctly on the body. To accomplish this the Shakespeare Doublet was interlined with a quality weight calico. The top fabric was a woollen mixture, these two fabrics were then basted together, once this was done, they were then worked on as one fabric, giving the fabric the body it required for the Doublet.

As the doublet was to be left open at the centre back, I decided to leave the front open too, enabling Lucy and I to work on each half of the doublet separately, making a left and a right side,this worked well. As there was no fitting to be done, we made the sleeves first and fully lined them. Once the sleeves with the wings and the collar were machined in place and fully lined, I then machined the centre front seam. I left the lining free until the costume was almost finished,at this stage, I machined in place the lower front tabs before Lucy marked the position of the front trimmings and gold decoration.

Once the trimmings were machined in place, the lining was then machined together down the centre front. I anchored this neatly in place by topstitching in the ditch along the lower edge above the tabs, this can only be seen from the lining inside the doublet. To complete the doublet, the heavy metal buttons were then sewn in place and a black 2.5cm wide twill tape was stitched each side of the centre back opening, enabling visitors to alter the back width to fit them.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this Shakespeare Doublet. As a fashion designer also trained in bespoke tailoring and haute couture, I was very keen to share and pass on my techniques to Lucy and Fiona, we worked well together, and I know they can be called on at any time in the future.

The Doublet is now with the Birthplace, and is available for visitors to try on and take a selfie and become part of the Tudor scene and the paintings hanging around the walls.

The ladies Tudor costume was also being made in two parts. Michelle who works for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, made the bodice, while Fiona volunteered her help, and made the beautiful three-piece Tudor skirt. This costume will be photographed at a later date.

Kay Anderson, Heritage volunteer secretary for Stradfas.

STRADFAS ladies restore Altar Frontal

Just before Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 2020, a beautifully conserved early-Victorian altar frontal was placed on the altar of St. Nicholas’ Church in Alcester. It was much admired by the congregation but few people realise the work and skill that was involved in regaining its original splendour.

Many years ago, the frontal was discovered in the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers in a Worcestershire chapel that was about to be auctioned. It was saved by a member of STRADFAS, Caroline Newey, but it was in a very poor state of repair. Two years ago, the decision was made to try to restore it and Kay Anderson, who is the Heritage  Secretary of the Society, and her team agreed to undertake the work. This involved removing and renovating all the old rotted silk that covered the panel, which after being steamed and pressed,  was given to expert Julie Helps (pictured) who then worked on untangling the delicate gold threads which form the embroidery. It was then returned to Caroline who, with the help of a friend Dianne King, was able to finish the project before  placing on the altar on Christmas Eve.

It was a long laborious project that required great skill to repair it. However, the team of Heritage Volunteers are no strangers to such projects, and have undertaken similar work in other churches and on Tudor costumes for Halls Croft. This year, Kay and Julie are hoping to continue working on the pelmet of the altar frontal belonging to St Michael and All Angels Church in Claverdon as soon as the current situation allows.

Hall’s Croft

For the past year two STRADFAS volunteers, Kay Anderson and Rosemary Applin, have been working with staff at Hall’s Croft, the home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband Dr. John Hall, to recreate dresses that would have been worn by Susanna and her daughter, Elizabeth, in 1617.  These dresses, complete with the appropriate under garments, are now finished and on display in the entrance hall at Hall’s Croft.

Compton Verney celebrated the tercentenary of the birth of Capability Brown in 2016. A group of STRADFAS volunteers worked with the landscape staff to research into the development of the Compton Verney parkland over the centuries and Brown’s work in the park.

The Textile Group worked on conserving and restoring two banners from the early twentieth century  which usually hang in Ladbroke Church. Over the years they have been exposed to the light and parts have been repaired, they are now in desperate need of conservation.

Warwick Museum – Knitting

Warwick Museum at Market Hall in the centre of Warwick closed for refurbishment. STRADFAS was asked to work with them on a knitting project that would involve the local community and produce a piece of work that would reflect the museums artefacts and be displayed in the window when they reopen. Knitters came to the museum where wool and needles were provided and four workshops were held during the summer with STRADFAS volunteers there to support people who were not confident about their skills.

Yvonne O’Hara from STRADFAS has designed six hangings to go in each of the six parts of the window and she is skilfully using the squares produced to make the pictures.

Heritage volunteers work on local projects to conserve and preserve our heritage; these projects could, for example, involve working in churches, historic houses, archives or libraries. Volunteers need enthusiasm and interest but not specific qualifications as appropriate training can be given. If anyone is interested in joining the team please contact Kay on info@stradfas.org.uk

Guild Chapel Rug

The new altar rug for the Stratford-upon-Avon Guild Chapel was inaugurated on April 15th 2026. The creation of this new rug was organised by the Friends of the Guild Chapel, and the design by Jessica Bull-Anderson (on the left in the photo), granddaughter of STRADFAS member Kay Anderson, was financed by STRADFAS. The rug was woven by local weaver Ellie Carr-Smith (right).

Tudor Costume Project

This was an exciting interactive Tudor costume project to work on, made even more enjoyable for me by benefitting from the help of my two volunteers, Lucy, and Fiona.

Emily White, Curator at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, contacted me through Stradfas and told me of her vision for the project. Her idea was for the tourist to feel part of the Tudor scene and be able to dress up if they wished in these costumes to look like one of the paintings displayed around the walls of the Shakespeare Birthplace. The project becomes interactive allowing them to take a selfie, stepping back in time to the 17th century. A dressing table and mirror are in place in the exhibition hall, and the Tudor costumes are made open at the centre back visitors can slip them on over their own garments.

This is quite unlike the first Tudor costume I made for Susanna, Shakespeare’s daughter, which was purely for display and is still displayed at the Birthplace.

Reconstructing any historical costume takes time and patience, finding the right fabrics to work on, plus using the correct techniques to enable the finished costumes to hang correctly on the body. To accomplish this the Shakespeare Doublet was interlined with a quality weight calico. The top fabric was a woollen mixture, these two fabrics were then basted together, once this was done, they were then worked on as one fabric, giving the fabric the body it required for the Doublet.

As the doublet was to be left open at the centre back, I decided to leave the front open too, enabling Lucy and I to work on each half of the doublet separately, making a left and a right side,this worked well. As there was no fitting to be done, we made the sleeves first and fully lined them. Once the sleeves with the wings and the collar were machined in place and fully lined, I then machined the centre front seam. I left the lining free until the costume was almost finished,at this stage, I machined in place the lower front tabs before Lucy marked the position of the front trimmings and gold decoration.

Once the trimmings were machined in place, the lining was then machined together down the centre front. I anchored this neatly in place by topstitching in the ditch along the lower edge above the tabs, this can only be seen from the lining inside the doublet. To complete the doublet, the heavy metal buttons were then sewn in place and a black 2.5cm wide twill tape was stitched each side of the centre back opening, enabling visitors to alter the back width to fit them.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this Shakespeare Doublet. As a fashion designer also trained in bespoke tailoring and haute couture, I was very keen to share and pass on my techniques to Lucy and Fiona, we worked well together, and I know they can be called on at any time in the future.

The Doublet is now with the Birthplace, and is available for visitors to try on and take a selfie and become part of the Tudor scene and the paintings hanging around the walls.

The ladies Tudor costume was also being made in two parts. Michelle who works for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, made the bodice, while Fiona volunteered her help, and made the beautiful three-piece Tudor skirt. This costume will be photographed at a later date.

Kay Anderson, Heritage volunteer secretary for Stradfas.

STRADFAS ladies restore Altar Frontal

Just before Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 2020, a beautifully conserved early-Victorian altar frontal was placed on the altar of St. Nicholas’ Church in Alcester. It was much admired by the congregation but few people realise the work and skill that was involved in regaining its original splendour.

Many years ago, the frontal was discovered in the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers in a Worcestershire chapel that was about to be auctioned. It was saved by a member of STRADFAS, Caroline Newey, but it was in a very poor state of repair. Two years ago, the decision was made to try to restore it and Kay Anderson, who is the Heritage  Secretary of the Society, and her team agreed to undertake the work. This involved removing and renovating all the old rotted silk that covered the panel, which after being steamed and pressed,  was given to expert Julie Helps (pictured) who then worked on untangling the delicate gold threads which form the embroidery. It was then returned to Caroline who, with the help of a friend Dianne King, was able to finish the project before  placing on the altar on Christmas Eve.

It was a long laborious project that required great skill to repair it. However, the team of Heritage Volunteers are no strangers to such projects, and have undertaken similar work in other churches and on Tudor costumes for Halls Croft. This year, Kay and Julie are hoping to continue working on the pelmet of the altar frontal belonging to St Michael and All Angels Church in Claverdon as soon as the current situation allows.

Hall’s Croft

For the past year two STRADFAS volunteers, Kay Anderson and Rosemary Applin, have been working with staff at Hall’s Croft, the home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband Dr. John Hall, to recreate dresses that would have been worn by Susanna and her daughter, Elizabeth, in 1617.  These dresses, complete with the appropriate under garments, are now finished and on display in the entrance hall at Hall’s Croft.

Compton Verney celebrated the tercentenary of the birth of Capability Brown in 2016. A group of STRADFAS volunteers worked with the landscape staff to research into the development of the Compton Verney parkland over the centuries and Brown’s work in the park.

The Textile Group worked on conserving and restoring two banners from the early twentieth century  which usually hang in Ladbroke Church. Over the years they have been exposed to the light and parts have been repaired, they are now in desperate need of conservation.

Warwick Museum – Knitting

Warwick Museum at Market Hall in the centre of Warwick closed for refurbishment. STRADFAS was asked to work with them on a knitting project that would involve the local community and produce a piece of work that would reflect the museums artefacts and be displayed in the window when they reopen. Knitters came to the museum where wool and needles were provided and four workshops were held during the summer with STRADFAS volunteers there to support people who were not confident about their skills.

Yvonne O’Hara from STRADFAS has designed six hangings to go in each of the six parts of the window and she is skilfully using the squares produced to make the pictures.