Richter, Agnes. Handmade jacket embroidered with autobiographical text, 1895. Prinzhorn Collection, Heidelberg University Hospital, Inv. No. 743. Discussed in Rosner, Isabella. “I plunge headlong into disaster: Unstitching Agnes Richter’s Jacket.” The Polyphony, 2 September 2021. Sammlung Prinzhorn Internet Archive The Polyphony
This post is inspired by the research and reflections of Denise Jones, as featured in “A Suffragette Detective Story” on Selvedge Magazine’s website. Her work continues to illuminate the legacy of textile protest with clarity and compassion. A Mended Resistance Fig 1: Cissie Wilcox, an embroidered panel (December, 1911). All images © Museum of London.… Read More hidden protest: suffragette embroidery in holloway prison
Throughout history, embroidery has been a quiet yet powerful form of protest — especially behind bars. In prisons, stitching became an act of defiance, a way to reclaim identity, express resistance, and document injustice when voices were silenced. From suffragettes to political prisoners, embroidery offered a rare moment of agency within confinement. Where to Find… Read More prison embroidery: hidden resistance in stitch
In a world of loud protests and fast-paced activism, the Craftivist Movement offers a quieter, more reflective approach to campaigning for change. Combining craft and activism, craftivism uses hand-making — embroidery, knitting, quilting — as a peaceful tool to challenge injustice and encourage thoughtful conversations. What is Craftivism?Coined by writer Betsy Greer in 2003, craftivism… Read More the craftivist movement: gentle protest, powerful change
Although this topic may not be local in the strictest sense, I thought it might resonate with readers in Hyde, given the town’s deep-rooted connection to the textile industry. Themes of craftsmanship, material expression, and cultural storytelling have long been woven into Hyde’s identity — and this subject echoes many of those threads. At first… Read More Stitching Sorrow: Thomas Hood’s poem The Song of the Shirt and the Victorian Needle trade
Fig 1 Lorina Bulwer Textile Sampler Fig 2 Shoddy Exhibition Lorina Bulwer was an English woman who lived during the Victorian era and is remembered today not through conventional records or fame, but through a series of extraordinary, emotionally charged embroidered samplers. Created during her confinement in a workhouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, her needlework… Read More lorina bulwer: the embroidered outcry of a forgotten voice
The Chartist movement, which swept across Britain between 1838 and 1857, is often remembered for its petitions, protests, and political demands and chief among them, universal male suffrage and parliamentary reform. But beyond speeches and signatures, Chartism was also a cultural force, giving rise to a rich body of artistic expression that reflected, reinforced, and… Read More chartism & art: imagining justice through visual culture
Why I Use the Word “Queer” in This Post I want to take a moment to explain why I’m using the word queer in this post and acknowledge the complexities and sensitivities surrounding it. My goal is to communicate with care, celebrate identity, and foster inclusivity—not to cause offense. The term queer has a complex… Read More Queer Textiles: A Tapestry of Identity, Resistance, and Celebration
Original article by Lucy Brownson 27 FEBRUARY 2023 Updated: 23/7/25 I am always looking for interesting articles that can tell a person’s story through textiles. This story in particular, is very tragic, but it is interesting to understand the stories of women who want to protest their views and feelings through textiles. Content note: This article… Read More Subversive Textiles and Medical Misogyny in Yorkshire: The Unravelling Fantasia of Miss H.
Rachel Bakewell 