Needlework was to the 19th century what knitting has become in the do-it-yourself craft movement of today. In the mid 1800s, embroidery was reassessed by the design reformers as an important applied art, and many needlework schools were established, sometimes with the help of William Morris.
Morris & Co. produced and sold needle-worked objects as well as embroidery kits complete with patterns and silk floss threads, making it even easier for the amateur to do-it-herself at home. Vast numbers of Morris-style embroideries were made to decorate the home and church. This is a typical example from that era.Alchemists in their own right, Morris and Ratté have long experimented with the application of precious metals to fabric through the techniques of resist dyeing and screen-printing. Morris and Ratté’s Animation series is the pinnacle of nearly nine years of collaboration in printing high-karat gold onto fabric, creating a result that is pliable, washable, and permanent. Their passion recalls that of William Morris, who a century earlier labored to perfect his natural plant dye recipes for textile printing.Claudy Jongstra keeps flocks of Gotland Pels and Drenthe Heath sheep at her property in Spannum, in the north of the Netherlands. This statement about her commitment to preserving heirloom breeds carries the additional benefit of providing her with fine-quality fleece. A passionate animal activist, Jongstra associates the quality of her wool with the high level of care that her flocks receive. Her work highlights the inherent beauty of the materials with which she works, affording a reverence to the shorn locks of wool that often hang from the surface of her felt “pelts.” Jongstra now works only with vegetable dyes, much in the tradition of William Morris.February 22 - June 15, 2008Evolution Revolution
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Claudy Jongstra keeps flocks of Gotland Pels and Drenthe Heath sheep at her property in Spannum, in the north of the Netherlands. This statement about her commitment to preserving heirloom breeds carries the additional benefit of providing her with fine-quality fleece. A passionate animal activist, Jongstra associates the quality of her wool with the high level of care that her flocks receive. Her work highlights the inherent beauty of the materials with which she works, affording a reverence to the shorn locks of wool that often hang from the surface of her felt “pelts.” Jongstra now works only with vegetable dyes, much in the tradition of William Morris.Alchemists in their own right, Morris and Ratté have long experimented with the application of precious metals to fabric through the techniques of resist dyeing and screen-printing. Morris and Ratté’s Animation series is the pinnacle of nearly nine years of collaboration in printing high-karat gold onto fabric, creating a result that is pliable, washable, and permanent. Their passion recalls that of William Morris, who a century earlier labored to perfect his natural plant dye recipes for textile printing.Evolution RevolutionFebruary 22 - June 15, 2008Needlework was to the 19th century what knitting has become in the do-it-yourself craft movement of today. In the mid 1800s, embroidery was reassessed by the design reformers as an important applied art, and many needlework schools were established, sometimes with the help of William Morris.
Morris & Co. produced and sold needle-worked objects as well as embroidery kits complete with patterns and silk floss threads, making it even easier for the amateur to do-it-herself at home. Vast numbers of Morris-style embroideries were made to decorate the home and church. This is a typical example from that era.