The Silk Museum played host to a collaborative art project inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.

Titled 'Macc History Tapestry', local residents were invited along to the museum on Thursday, June 4, to add five stitches to an embroidered, medieval-style tapestry.

The idea comes from Becca Smith's 'Sew Your Place' project, which also runs collaborative projects in Buxton and Leek.

Becca, who is also director of the New Macclesfield School of Art, said: "This is actually collaborative cartography, and it's also about social stitching.

"It's not about people doing it all separately and bringing it together; it's about people sitting around the table and talking. We've had great stories, we've had laughs, everyone shares their knowledge."

The Macc History Tapestry will be unveiled in its entirety at the 1261 Festival (Credit: Hannah Cochrane)

Macc History Tapestry celebrates the original Bayeux Tapestry coming to the British Museum this year and highlights the Silk Museum's rare piece of a replica stitched by 40 women from the Leek Embroidery Society in the mid-1880s.

Becca, along with co-artist and friend Ailsa Holland, pitched the idea of a 'collaborative map-based piece of Macclesfield' to the town council to secure funding, and the project started in December last year.

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In addition to the map, there are also 'action scenes from specific points of history', which was Ailsa's idea.

"The amazing thing is that people who have never even dreamed of going anywhere near embroidery needles or doing anything like that have come in and done some stitches, and they just want to carry on," Becca explained.

Throughout the course of the afternoon, more than 100 people contributed to the tapestry, with many doing more than just five stitches.

Sticking close to the medieval inspiration, the project uses naturally dyed wool and medieval stitching techniques.

The central part of the tapestry, the map itself, remained covered while visitors stitched on the borders.

On the morning of the 1261 Festival, June 20, at 10 am, the whole tapestry will be unveiled and put on display in St Michael's Church, in the medieval tomb area.

After that, the piece will be part of a 'major exhibition' in the Silk Museum in September.

More than 100 people contributed to the tapestry on Thursday, June 4 (Credit: Hannah Cochrane)

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Becca said: "The British Museum is supporting around 60 organisations around the country, from Scotland to Wales to Macclesfield, and providing us with videos, pre-designed text panels, really nice content, and interactive websites. So the tapestry will be supported and supplemented by this.

"And also the people who've made this and their stories. We're going to have their voices, pictures of people working, and a celebration for the 100 people who have contributed."

Becca also spoke about the holistic way in which people can connect with Macclesfield's textile history.

"Even if you just sit and do five minutes, you connect immediately with all of those people, and you connect with the techniques, the feelings, the physical sensations.

"This can be for anyone of any ability, or whatever needs they have. Everyone can do it."