Kickstarter campaign to help Wisbech mum publish colouring book based on her amazing Bayeux Tapestry project
Tapestry artist Mia Hansson together with independent printers Eyrie Press have had an overwhelming response to a Kickstarter campaign aimed at publishing a colouring book based on her work.
It is three years since the Fenland Citizen first reported on Mia, a mum from Wisbech, and her incredible project to create a replica of the famous Bayeux Tapestry.
In that time Mia has completed around a third of the famous 69 metres- long tapestry (she has finished just under 23m), which tells the story of the Norman conquest and largely focuses on William the Conqueror's infamous victory against King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
She has become well-known among local clubs and organisations for her talks on her labour of love, which began in July 2016, and is likely to take at least another six years to complete.
Mia has also attended multiple events across the region with her amazing recreation of the tapestry so people can admire the work and learn a little of the skills needed to carry out such stitching. It is the craft rather than the history which first drew her to the idea of creating her own version.
Now she has turned her attention to creating a colouring book based on images she has hand drawn for the tapestry, which were all based on the original.
The Kickstarter page, launched last Monday (1) which aimed to raise £700 towards the cost of publishing the book, explains: "Mia has been asked many times where she gets the images she uses for the tapestry, and she replies that she draws them all herself by studying the original design.
"Since so many people have asked her for copies, she decided it would be a good idea to put together a collection in a book. She approached us at Eyrie Press, and of course we couldn't turn down the opportunity to be involved in something so unique.
"Mia's Bayeux Tapestry Colouring Book includes around 50 of her own hand-drawn, black and white, outline images. Most are those which appear on the tapestry itself, but there are a few extra images which Mia has imagined in the same style.
"The book includes many of the more famous scenes, such as the depiction of what is thought to be Halley's comet.
"Although it's called a colouring book, we know that many people will want to use the images for their own embroidery projects, or for other crafts. So we've designed the book with all that in mind.
"There is also an index with a short description of each image, so you know what it is you are looking at."
Eyrie Press is a small not-for-profit independent press based in the East of England. This is its second Kickstarter project. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform geared towards helping creative projects find the funding they need to come to fruition.
The original target for Mia's colouring book was £700, but that target was smashed within hours and the total currently stands at £3,566. All those who have pledged have the choice of donating without a reward or choosing a reward, including a copy of the book when it is finally published, depending on the amount pledged.
The Kickstarter campaign runs until the end of June and you can still donate via the website. You can also find out more about Mia's incredible work on her dedicated Facebook page.
