Micheal & Elizabeth Feller - the needlework collection: 1

Micheal & Elizabeth Feller - the needlework col-lection: 1

Authors: Brooks, Mary M, Elizabeth Feller & Jacqueline Holdsworth

[England], Needleprint, 2011 ISBN: 978 0955 2086 52

This beautiful book showcases the earlier embroideries in Micheal (and I have spelled that correctly) and Elizabeth’s needlework collection. I was curious about the back story. Who are the Feller’s, where do they come from, how did their collection come about? This information is nowhere to be found in the book BUT after an extensive online search, I found it here and it is a very interesting story.http://m.oxfordmail.co.uknews/11499489.Museum_gets_hooks_into_butcher___s___500k_collection/

For those who don’t have computer access, briefly, Micheal owns an organic butcher’s shop in the Oxford market. He and Elizabeth started collecting antique embroidered cushions early in their marriage and it has grown from there. They have donated part of the collection to the Ashmolean Museum, where it is on permanent display. Now that is out of the way, how does the book measure up?

It starts with an index of thumbnail photos of each of the 96 works described and the page number where you will find the detailed information about each one. The first half of the book covers early English works and is written by Mary Brooks. I love her descriptions of the embroideries and her commentary on the social conditions of the times. She includes pertinent quotes from contemporary writers. She does not assume readers will know the story which each embroidery illustrates, and relates and interprets it. An example on page 46 is the biblical story of Esther and Ahasuerus. She then describes the stitches used in the different elements of the picture. The embroideries are grouped by subject…’In the begin-ning’, ‘Learning the skills’, Crafting the exemplary woman’, to give you some tempting examples.

‘Other times, other places’, is the section contributed by Elizabeth Feller. There is no indication of why these pieces are in this section, but again, the standard of writing is high, her knowledge comprehensive and the items described, varied. The next section of the book will be of interest to sampler aficionados. Jacqueline Holdsworth describes these. Her knowledge of and love for her subject is apparent. The commentary on each of the samplers makes for interesting reading. She has also put together a pattern catalogue replicated from early pattern books, for those keen to design their own samplers using old techniques and images.

This is a stunningly gorgeous, large book for embroiderers and social historians. The writing is excellent, the layout inviting. What makes the book, I feel, is the outstanding photography which was done by Richard Holdsworth, the husband of one of the authors, who, I feel, receives rather scant acknowledgement given the extent and quality of his contribution. It is his photography which lifts the book out of the ordinary. 

Thanks Heather Stonestreet, for drawing my atten-tion to this wonderful tome. It is available at the public library.