From Obedience to Rebellion: Embroidery and Feminine Identity in Late-Eighteenth to Early-Twentieth Century Britain

2023

“She is silent when she sews, silent for hours on end…she is silent and she – why not write it down the world that frightens me – she is thinking.” – Colette

The study of embroidery samplers in the late eighteenth to nineteenth century and the embroidered works of female designers in the nineteenth and early twentieth century demonstrates the profound presence needlework played in the lives of British women. As a form of education, domesticity, occupation, and community; embroidery and needlework were essential to the construction of female identities during this time…

Published in Objective: Journal of History of Design and Curatorial Studies, Parsons School of Design and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. (Issue 6, Fall 2023)

Read the full article here.