May Morris (1862–1938) is recognised today as a pioneer of the Arts and Crafts movement, a leading exponent of decorative needlework and a campaigner for women artists. Despite being one of the foremost practitioners of her generation, it was design that May described as ‘the very soul and essence of beautiful embroidery’. One of the largest collections of May’s designs, from roughly sketched ideas to finished patterns, is held by the Ashmolean Museum. This book showcases a selection of 25 of these designs, which are published here for the first time, positioning May’s output within the artistic developments of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as equipping embroiderers with the tools to create their own projects based on the work of this remarkable needlewoman.
By:
Lynn Hulse
Imprint: Ashmolean Museum
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 264mm,
Width: 197mm,
Spine: 15mm
Weight: 760g
ISBN: 9781910807699
ISBN 10: 1910807699
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 14 July 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Part One will consist of an essay on May Morris' contribution to the revival of decorative needlework. • Tracing its roots back to the artistic developments of the 1830s, the introduction will begin by examining the influence of Gothic Revival and Design Reform; the Victorian obsession with Berlin work versus the renewed appreciation for the technical mastery and artistic expression found in the work of medieval embroiderers; the impact of the South Kensington Museum; and the revival of interest in the decorative arts of the Middle East, India and the Far East through the advent of international expositions. • Next, it will explore the four constituent elements of art embroidery with reference to the work of designers and practitioners of the later 19th century, i.e. design based on an awareness of the intellectual quality of medieval ornament; the selection and arrangement of colours; the choice of suitable materials; and the vocabulary of stitch. • Finally, the introduction will discuss May Morris’s approach to creating decorative needlework on behalf of Morris & Co. and in her own practice with reference to her published writings, lecture notes and extant embroideries. Part Two: Selection of around 30 designs from the Ashmolean collection. • Each design will include a 100–250-word entry on its historical context plus an image of the original pattern and a new outline drawing for embroiderers to transfer. • Instructions will be included for stitching 4 or 5 of the designs in order to demonstrate how they might have been worked by May Morris. • For each new outline drawing, this book will also provide a link (QR code/website address with persistent identifier) from which the pattern can be downloaded. This will enable the reader to increase the size of the outline drawing to the dimensions required for transferring onto the fabric ground ready for stitching. A digital link will also be provided for the instruction booklets for ease of use.
Lynn Hulse is an independent textile historian and practitioner specialising in needlework from the 16th to the early 20th centuries, and her primary area of research is art embroidery for the domestic interior, c. 1860–1914. She is regularly invited to give lectures to museums, historic houses, tour groups and societies connected with textiles and the decorative arts in the UK, Ireland and North America, and has organised textile conferences and symposia on behalf of the Textile Society, Ashmolean Museum, and other bodies.
