ROYAL STANDARDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 30 September 1927, Page 5

ROYAL STANDARDS

WORK OF EMBROIDERING. A London-born woman Miss Laura Fairbanks, regarded as the cleverest embroiderer in Britain, and tier seven highly skilled girl helpers, made the five new standards which were' presented to the Lile Guards and the Horse Guards recently bv the King on the Horse Guards Parade. To make these magnificent emblems --costing altogether £2ooo—these eight women in the employ of Messrs Hobson and Sons, army clothing contractors, of Tooley street, who for many years have made all the British regimental colours, worked for 800 hours. “1 have been doing this work for 30 years for the same firm,” said Miss Fairbanks tq a “Daily Mail” representatives recently. "And octi cian has made lor me glasses with lenses specially suited for this kind ot work, so as to save my eves as much as possible. 1 use three sizes of needles threaded with silver gilt wire and sometimes it takes me five hours to do one inch. The Guard’s new standards are embroidered on crimson flowered damask with the Exeter design. “The damask, which cost £5 a yard. 63 inches wide, is handwoven at Braintree. Essex. The Exeter design is used only for the Household Cavalry, the Dragoons, and the ■ Dragoon Guards. The designs for the Guards’ standards were drawn at

e College of Hei signs were punched on to the damask before we began our iob.”