This is Warrnambool based embroidery artist, Megan Nicholson’s ode to Lawson Ryan. Lawson told her stories of his time at Fletcher Jones in the Dry Cleaning Dept. where he loved working for 39.5 years. The embroidery somehow links the community FJ stories connection from past to present. The embroidery was made for the Fabrication 2 auction. Fabrication is a fundraising exhibition and auction held by F Project annually, where artists utilise scrap fabric salvaged from the FJ factory to make an art piece to help support the F Project annual costs. F Project is a community artists collective based in Warrnambool. This is what Megan said about the embroidery.
"I'd had this scrap jacket for a while and had wanted to paint it gold for the auction and embroider a garden scene. I then attended one of Julie Eagles Stories of FJ workshops where I sat at a table with some gorgeous old gentlemen. Lawson Ryan told me how he had begun at FJ's at 18, a boy from a large family with little education, and Sir Fletcher took him under his wing and provided him with support and education so that he moved up the ranks to a managerial position looking after Dry Cleaning in various places around Australia. He had lots of great anecdotes and photos but mostly an immense pride for his time spent at FJ’s. I then found a photo which I imagine to be from the 50’s/60’s which showed the dry cleaning service and I did this embroidery. For Lawson and FJ’s I think it was the golden years of their lives.” Megan Nicholson - Textile Artist.
