Dr Bea Stitches
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drelvey.bsky.social
Dr Bea Stitches
@drelvey.bsky.social
190 followers 190 following 150 posts
Historian by training; textile artist by preference. Usually stitching something inspired by Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell Trilogy. European.
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drelvey.bsky.social
Made myself a cross little Cromwell.
A square black frame containing a little painted sketch of Thomas Cromwell wearing a black coat and brown fur collar. The figure is cut out and placed on a dark blue tissue background with a few silver highlights.
December 6, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
london.gov.uk
For generations, the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has brought light to the heart of London.

Thank you, Norway, for this gift of friendship since 1947.
Trafalgar Square Christmas tree Carol singers at Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square Christmas tree Mayor of London at Trafalgar Square Christmas tree
December 4, 2025 at 8:07 PM
drelvey.bsky.social
Bea Stitches (@drelvey)
In a diagnosis I really didn’t want, it turns out I have severe osteoarthritis. I’m working through the various impacts of this, and of course thinking about the impact on Stitching Cromwell. I must p...
substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
jdmccafferty.bsky.social
29 Nov 1530: d. an exhausted Thomas Cardinal Wolsey #otd at #Leicester Abbey. One of many who fell due to Henry VIII's 'great matter'
November 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
drelvey.bsky.social
I have been drawing up an inventory of Stitching Cromwell.
Inventories and Inventories
Inventories are magical.
open.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
jdmccafferty.bsky.social
26 Nov 1539: Anne of Cleves begins her journey to #England in a 'chariot' with a 'canopied nacelle' #otd

The long trip cost her brother 18,608 gold florins. Luckily for him Henry VIII waived the dowry (St. John's Oxford)
November 26, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
carolinehack.bsky.social
It’s #WorldWalrusDay so it’s a good excuse to repost this #HandEmbroidery version I made recently, based on an 1579 illustration.
An embroidered illustration of a walrus with 4 feet, a whale like tail and upward pointed tusks the body is covered in vertical stripes of embroidery and fabric paint.
November 24, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
london.gov.uk
The Covid Inquiry’s findings are devastating. So many families suffered unimaginable loss, and their experiences must never be forgotten.

We must take these findings seriously and ensure we are far better prepared for the future. My thoughts are with all those who suffered.
November 21, 2025 at 9:28 AM
drelvey.bsky.social
Just as I was giving “your assured friend” Lord Cromwell’s signature a nod, and smiling at his over-filled quill in the archives this afternoon, I received an exciting #StitchingCromwell invitation for Spring 2026. Managed not to scream there and then.

Watch this space.
Parchment. In black ink the words “Your assured ffreynd Thomas Crumwell” are written with some minor ink blots.
November 21, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
johnsimpsonnews.bsky.social
The report into Boris Johnson’s record during the Covid epidemic blames a ‘toxic, sexist and chaotic culture’ in Downing Street. Who’d have thought it?
November 20, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
dkennytcd.bsky.social
Extremely niche request, very unlikely to work: does anyone know anyone who specialises in analysis of historical handwriting??
November 18, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
whitstabletail.bsky.social
Making Little Red Riding Hoods for the Whitstable Artists and Makers Trail in 29/30 November…
Up to you whether the wolf is snuggling or stuffed…

#hasshenothingbettertodo
#feministchristmas
#feministart
#folklore
#fairytale
November 17, 2025 at 1:05 PM
drelvey.bsky.social
On this day in 1501, Prince Arthur of Wales married Katherine of Aragon at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Panel from the Cromwell Narrative Cloth.
Quilted panel showing a young bride and groom in white and gold. The date is shown as 14 November 1501. Three pomegranates in stages of ripening are shown at the top of the panel.
November 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM
drelvey.bsky.social
Very much a fan of Charles the baby alligator 🐊 and his little smiley face.
cait.bsky.social cait (and adonis) @cait.bsky.social · 24d
I have the most wonderful story for you all today: baby alligator spotted in Charles River, then immediately rescued by local reptile enthusiast
r/boston u/migrational_coconut • 1d Spotted a baby alligator in the Charles Salamanders Yesterday on my run, I was flabbergasted to spot this tiny alligator hanging out in Turtle Pond (on the Charles River bike path. My assumption is that he is someone's pet who was either lost or dumped (but he still gave me QUITE a jump scare at 7AM). I called Animal Control and was sent to voicemail - hopefully someone can grab him before it gets too cold. From instagram, it looks like some other folks have spotted him along the river too. Joe's Crazzy Critters • Follow 1d • Q ... Tonight NBC10 Boston contacted me for an interview regarding the small American alligator that was spotted in the Charles River near Back Bay. After the interview, more information was shared about the location the alligator was last seen. So, I grabbed a head lamp and flashlight and took a ride into Boston. With the cold temps, the alligator had very low chances of surviving. With some luck and a couple of bright flashlights after 15 minutes I found the Boston alligator. I was able to capture him safely and he will be warm and housed until we get more information and instructions on what's next for this little guy. We are hoping that he will be a new resident and ambassador here at Joe's Crazzy Critters New England Wildlife Center & • Follow •.. 5h • Meet Charles, the baby alligator who made quite the splash in Boston this week! ? Thanks to the quick action (and above-and-beyond dedication) of Joe's Crazzy Critters, Charles was safely rescued from the cold water of the Charles River last night and brought to us for care. Our veterinarians Greg, Harry, and Tess examined him today and determined he has an upper respiratory infection. He's now getting antibiotics and a warm, safe place to recover. Alligators don't belong in New England, and it's likely Charles was released by someone who couldn't care for him anymore. If you ever find yourself in that position, please call us and we are happy to work with you find a humane solution. Never release a pet into the wild. The Odd Pet Vet is dedicated to giving every creature the expert care they deserve. If you your scaled, furred, or feathered family member needs a check-up, give us a call! Learn more: newildlife.org/odd-pet-vet baby alligator in a bin marked "live animals" being held aloft in a man's hand
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
mrfw17thc.bsky.social
At least 50% of Underground stations sound like an early 17th c plot to overthrow the Stuarts.
November 13, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
johnsimpsonnews.bsky.social
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM
drelvey.bsky.social
It seems like a good day to share this excellent BBC Radio drama about far-right radicalisation and grooming.
Limelight - The Betrayed - Episode 1. Siblings - BBC Sounds
A brother's far-right activism creates a major dilemma for his Police Detective sister.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
maryrosemuseum.bsky.social
Check out this load of old bobbins!

The crew of the Mary Rose used them to store their sewing kits (thread around the spindle, needles and pins in a hollow space at the end), which they would use to repair damaged materials, such as this ripped cloth jerkin!

#Museum30 #Stitch
Four wooden bobbins, with wider rings at the ends and another in the middle. two of them have angular bungs. A rather messy looking pile of ribbons, threads and laces. A closeup of a woven cloth jerkin, with a tear in it with signs of having been stitched up. The thread, probably silk, has not survived.
November 8, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
mrfw17thc.bsky.social
Find yourself something that makes you as happy as Edward Barlow's 'dolphin' was to 'swim in the sea'. #skystorians #earlymodern

(National Maritime Museum, Journal of Edward Barlow, JOD/4/197-210, 213-294)
November 4, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'“Chatroom contributions are given equal status with serious academic work,” [Richard] Evans, an expert on the Third Reich, told the Guardian, after being invited to test out Grokipedia. “AI just hoovers up everything.”'
In Grok we don’t trust: academics assess Elon Musk’s AI-powered encyclopedia
From publishing falsehoods to pushing far-right ideology, Grokipedia gives chatroom comments equal status to research
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:47 AM
drelvey.bsky.social
Working Thomas Cromwell’s River. I’m surrounded by maps and nautical navigation charts and notes. Plus Wolf Hall on audio.
A map of Tudor London, folded. A notebook with Thames-related notes. A quilted piece of blue fabric, with the words Upper Pool stitched; then a strip of brown fabric with the names of different wharves and quays inked on cream calico.
November 2, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
wolfhall.bsky.social
Halloween: the world's edge seeps and bleeds. This is the time when the tally-keepers of Purgatory, its clerks and gaolers, listen into the living, who are praying for the dead.

– Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
October 31, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Reposted by Dr Bea Stitches
stephencollins.bsky.social
If you're a National Trust member, it's that time of year again: Midnight tonight is the deadline. It's a shame people have to keep doing this to keep a toehold on historical truth in this country, but here we are. Voting link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
[Scene is the entrance cabin to a NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY AND GARDENS] 1 NATIONAL TRUST EMPLOYEE [inside cabin]: Hello there 2 [A young family - two parents two kids - have arrived at the front desk]. DAD: Hi - do you have an activity trail, for the kids? 3 NT EMPLOYEE: Of course – you’re just in time for the Autumn Gammon Trail! 4 MUM: That sounds fun, doesn’t it kids? 5 NT EMPLOYEE [handing an activity sheet and pencils to the kids]: Every autumn, the Reform Trust gammons flock back to the National Trust for the AGM. Just follow the trail round the grounds, and see how many you can spot! 6 NT EMPLOYEE [hearing something in the gardens]: Listen - that's their call [Calls emanating from the landscape]: tut-tut woke-woke 7 NT EMPLOYEE [showing the family an apparently empty fenced enclosure with some bushes in]: They are extremely sensitive and fragile... But you can bring them out of hiding if you put a little sign down mentioning slavery. 8 KIDS [pointing]: There they are! [Some little red faced PEOPLE wearing Barbour jackets and gilets emerge cautiously from the bushes. They are creeping towards a TINY SIGN in the middle of the enclosure]. [Little people noises]: woke-woke tut-tut woke-woke 9 [Close-up of the TINY SIGN - we can read that it says]: Slavery had a bit to do with building this massive house. [Noises from the little people again as they inspect the tiny sign]: tut-tut woke-woke 10 MUM [pointing]: What's that one doing there? NT EMPLOYEE: Oh, that's so sweet… 11 [We see that one of the people is sat on a rock, with a little laptop open on a tree stump, and they are furiously typing away]. NT EMPLOYEE: I think he's writing a column for the Daily Telegraph… 12 [We see close up to the little person’s screen, it is a word document reading]: Are National Trust scones secretly WOKE? [ends]
October 31, 2025 at 9:02 AM
drelvey.bsky.social
This is either the beginning of a new idea, or the reworking of an old one. Thomas Cromwell along the Thames. Not sure what I am doing yet.
A cushioned portrait of Thomas Cromwell with two quilted sections of blue fabric, one quilted with the words Limehouse Reach; the other with Greenwich Reach.
October 27, 2025 at 9:18 AM
drelvey.bsky.social
In my studio with two of four of Thomas Cromwell’s queens: new work ready for next year’s @wolfhall.bsky.social Weekenx by the Tower.

Katherine of Aragon and Anna of Cleves. Just finished Katherine 20 minutes ago.
Two quilted representations of women in sixteenth century dress. Cream calico with the outlines stitched in and painted faces.
October 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM