I first set eyes on the Bayeux tapestry thanks to a wrong turn. My husband was driving us across France, missed an exit, and we accidentally ended up in the town of Bayeux. Walking along the 70-metre tapestry, which portrays William the Conqueror's victory over England's King Harold, I was blown away. The scale of it was incredible. I couldn't believe it was almost 1,000 years old.
A decade later, as a gift for a history-loving friend, I embroidered a three-meter scene depicting some moments from our friendship in the style of the Bayeux tapestry. Soon after, one of our mutual friends commissioned me to recreate a small section of the famous tapestry. It's been eight years since I started, and I'm now 44 meters in.
The labor has taken its toll on my body; my fingers are full of tiny holes where the needle has constantly pricked my skin. My left elbow gets sore, too, which I've been told is because of strain from my neck.
Sometimes I'll spend 10 hours a day bent over it; other days I'll fit in an hour before I go to bed. I always sit in the same corner of my living room, with my laptop nearby so I can look at an online copy of the tapestry.
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