Lily, an embroidery artist from the Midlands, works with the Collections Team at Wightwick Manor and Gardens. There, she discovered the inspiring works of William and Evelyn De Morgan, sparking her passion for blending history with her craft.
Wightwick Manor partners with the De Morgan Foundation to display the De Morgan Collection. In January 2024, an addition to the De Morgan Gallery at Wightwick – ‘The Tile Library’ – opened, displaying an array of William’s ceramic tiles that had previously been in storage. This was a really exciting time for us as a property and we were so pleased to celebrate the beautiful ceramic designs. To take this one step further, I had an idea of making some bespoke hand embroidered ‘tiles’ based on the originals on display.
Based on the ceramic tile ‘ Wightwick’
Since June, I have spent hundreds of hours stitching a collection of 10 tiles, which have now been stretched on canvases. To explain a little about the making process; I first made a digitally drawn outline of the original tile designs, meaning I could account for any discrepancies in the painting of the tiles. I do this with a software called Procreate, which allows me to draw and edit designs easily. Next, I printed my drawn outlines onto Sulky solvent, a type of textile stabiliser which sticks directly to fabric and supports the stitching as well as providing a precise outline to follow. Once the stitching of the design is complete, the stabiliser can be easily washed away, leaving behind the embroidered design. When stitching on block areas as I have done with these tiles the stabiliser often dries to a firm texture, which I wanted to keep to replicate the surface of the real tiles. I documented the progress of my work via my Instagram page, sharing images and videos at each stage of the sewing process.
I knew when I began the project that I wanted to make a contribution to the Foundation in some way and decided to allocate a percentage of the funds made from sales to give back. When purchased, a donation of 25% will be made directly to the De Morgan Foundation. This invites a special opportunity to own a bespoke piece of art inspired by De Morgan’s work and to support the Foundation in keeping the legacies of William and Evelyn alive.
Each design has been stretched over a 15×15 cm frame to present them on a canvas .
I have really enjoyed recreating some of William’s iconic tile designs and reimagining them in stitch. I hope that the project proves successful for the Foundation and if it is, maybe it is something I could do again in the future as I love bringing Arts and Crafts themes into my work. Each tile design I have replicated will only be stitched once, meaning each ‘tile’ is one of a kind.
Lily Purslow
(Lily Purslow Art)
