"Multicoloured silk embroidery became fashionable in the reign of Elizabeth I. From c. 1590 to 1620 a specific English fashion arose for embroidered linen jackets featuring scrolling floral patterns. The 17th and 18th centuries began a time of international exploration, many books were published full of detailed botanical plates. These became a welcome source of inspiration for embroidery. Kew Gardens was set up in 1840. The Victorians similarly stitched botanical decoration on their fashion and Art Needlework was a style of embroidery championed by the Arts and Crafts movement largely inspired by nature. As an A-level art student I was deeply inspired by the botanical abstractions of the Twentieth century fine artist Georgia O'Keeffe who in 1908 was working drawing designs for lace and embroidery. Today I can take digital photographs as inspiration for the decoration of the paper garments made by The House of Embroidered Paper."

Stephanie Smart