Arts and Crafts Embroidery Piece

Embroidery Piece with description beside it in a typical Arts and Crafts style book

The Piece

“The Arts and Crafts Movement is distinguished by its focus on architecture and the decorative arts. It was less concerned with a set style and more on a way of life that rejected industrial labour, believed in the importance of craftsmanship, natural beauty and had roots in socialism.This embroidery piece reflects not only the stylistic aspects of the movement by focusing on plants and rich colour but also represents the values of the movement. The words “bread and roses” are a nod to the poem by James Oppenheim that became the slogan for socialist and labour parties in Britain and the US. This poem speaks to the idea that man does not live by bread alone – beauty is also a necessity. This embroidery piece then summarizes the beliefs of both the socialist and arts and crafts movement showing how design can capture a moment.”

Rationale

I chose to make an embroidery piece from the Arts and Crafts movement because it was one of the main decorative art focuses of the movement along with furniture, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, wallpaper and stained glass. The life of the craftsmen during this era really spoke to me – living in community in the British countryside, making a living crafting and exploring art, finding inspiration in countering the industrial revolution – it is all just so idyllic that I wanted to be a part of it. 

I really took inspiration from May Morris (Willaim Morris’s daughter) while making this piece as she was the leading voice in embroidery and tapestry art at this time. She brought in themes of the Arts and Crafts movement through her works’ connection to nature (much of her work is filled with beautiful flowers, leaves, trees and birds) as well as it’s connection to the socialist movement at the time. The poem “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim perfectly encompasses the fusion of socialism and Arts and Crafts as it describes with beautiful metaphors how one cannot live by bread alone, beauty and pleasure is necessary as well.

For this assignment I would give myself a 9/10. I  think that this piece represents the design style of the time; flowery, filled with nature, using art nouveau lettering and uses this image to represent a political position. I took themes, literature and inspiration from this era and feel that it is noticeably Arts and Crafts. Of course the real embroidery of this time would be massive and extremely detailed, perhaps covering sheets, pillows, cushions and many other household furnitures, but unfortunately I was not allowed to embroider anything in my house and didn’t have the time or skill to create such a large scale image. I felt that I learned much about this movement and really enjoyed making this piece!