This commission commemorates a significant 25th wedding anniversary – a surprise gift from husband to wife. The client provided the text chosen from Anais Ninn “ And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”.

I have interpreted this in nine stages of creation – from bud to blossom. According to Indian philosophy there are nine stages of creation – from unmanifest to creation. This is depicted on the pashmina – one side showing the manifest creation depicted as a bud at nine stages of development and the other side in an abstract way – the remaining remnants of the material as a mirror image to each bud. Inside each bud is stitched the Anais Ninn quote and again running along each side of the pashmina.

 The silk used for the flowers comes from an antique kimono and a green silk Victorian Quaker wedding dress.

 As each bud opens it reveals pearls and gems of garnet and quartz and scattered along the length of the pashmina, hand cut and stitched ‘petals’ reminiscent of the couple being blessed as seen in Indian miniature paintings…where the petals fall from hands from the sky.

How do you tell the story of Britain’s greatest leader and where he loved to shop? The first inspiration for this artwork was a letter written by a 16 year old Winston from Harrow School to his Mother, ‘Jennie’ Churchill, telling her that he had received ‘a tremendous hamper from F&M’ which ‘must have cost at least £3 and 10 shillings’. Covered in ink blots and smudges he apologises saying ‘I am so awfully sorry for the blots, but someone has been doing something to the blotting paper’ before signing off affectionately yet with custom formality ‘Good Bye you darling Mummy, with much love and many kisses, I remain your loving son Winston S. Churchill’. This has been hand stitched onto the left sleeve and is where the story begins.

Lady Randolph Churchill was an American heiress (1854 – 1921) considered to be one of the most beautiful women of her time. This silk satin bodice becomes the canvas on which to tell this tale and is fittingly exquisite; complete with whale boning, it belongs to the same era of elegance and is by coincidence of American origin – as shown printed on the label which has been pinned decoratively with antique glass top pins which themselves have individually been silver plated.

These silk satin dancing shoes were the first garment donated by a London family to The Stitch Lives of London. The story of Mary Pearse, a London pauper who never owned a pair of shoes but whose father may have made such a pair has been hand stitched on them. All we know of Mary is contained within this short narrative, written by the clerk as she was admitted to a safe house:

“188. Narrative of Mary Pearse, 22 Apr 1815. 

Mary Pearse ~ 15 years old ~ of Hanway Place (yard) Mary le bone, was referred to the consideration of the last committee by George Farrant Esq, a Magistrate of Middlesex. Not being at that time discharged from confinement, her case could not be investigated.

She now states, that her Father is a shoemaker – & that her mother is living ~ that she has never been from home, till the evil example of a Sister, who has been a Prostitute some time, led her to think of quitting her Parents. She stole from her Father £7 ~ & took up her abode at No. 6 Charles street, Drury Lane, where she spent £5 ~ of the money, the remainder being recovered by her Father.

Admitted.”

Bill Nighy Recording

This stitched garment explores the history of Fortnum and Mason and the 1924 Expedition to Everest.

The 1924 expedition to conquer Everest was the third and last fatal attempt for George Mallory(1886 – 1924). In an age of idealistic British conquest and travel, Fortnum and Mason provided everything the intrepid explorer might need at its Export department. It is little wonder then that the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition headed to Fortnum’s.