When you are next wanting some quiet time, skip the doom scrolling on social media and instead visit the Goldsmiths Textile Collection & Constance Howard Gallery website hosted by Goldsmiths College, University of London.
The collection was founded by Constance Howard and Audrey Walker in the 1980’s. It is still a teaching collection dedicated to multidisciplinary textiles research but has an emphasis on embroidery. If you take some time you will discover textile art, costumes and embroidery from all over the world.
This embroidered picture of a fish was stitched in the late 1950s early 1960s feels contemporary.
Constance Howard was an inspiring teacher who had a colossal influence on contemporary embroidery but is also often remembered for her green hair. You can see a photo of her on the Wikipedia page about her. Constance Howard founded the Embroidery Department at Goldsmiths, London and was awarded the MBE for services to embroidery. For me in distant Australia, it was her books that reached around the globe and influenced me most. What is now a classic text of embroidery and a key text is “Inspiration for Embroidery” was the book that introduced me to the idea that embroidery was a visual art. Constance Howard was very much about applying design principles to embroidery. Also “The Constance Howard Book of Stitches” definitely influenced me towards exploring stitches. It is in black and white making many stitchers dismiss it but I still refer to it.
The collection is housed at VADS. What is VADS? It is a national UK collection of over 140,000 images from over 300 art and design collections. Of course artists retain copyright to their work but images in the VADS data base are freely available for non-commercial use in education.
I have selected a few items to share. This blue sampler worked by Constance Howard is covered with experimental stitching.
I particularly enjoyed this modern sampler of geometric blocks and lines of short lengths of different stitches. This sampler was worked in the 1950s and contains surface and counted stitches, counted thread, and drawn thread work. It is described in the collection as student work and noted that Constance Howard would have been interested in the students use of colour. It is seeing samplers such as these, published in her books that stimulated my own creative path and has lead to inspiring activities such as TAST, building this website with the Stitch Dictionary and eventually me writing books!
There are many contemporary pieces on the site which I think people will enjoy. So make yourself a cuppa settle back and enjoy the Goldsmiths Textile Collection & Constance Howard Gallery collection as there is a lot there to look at and think about.
My book for creative stitchers
If you enjoy my site you will gain real value from my book: Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery: Visual Guide to 120 Essential Stitches for Stunning Designs
Feeling stale? Wondering how to add sparkle to your embroidery? I have aimed Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery to be suitable for both beginners and seasoned embroiderers. It introduces techniques to encourage your creative interpretations of stitches. I guide you towards discovering play-points in your embroidery by varying the height and width; by stacking stitches; or by filling multiple rows with the same stitch. With creative variations and demonstrations of tiny tweaks, You will be ready to head off down your own creative path and, of course, illustrated with plenty of eye candy!
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Thank you so very much for the wonderful information and reminder.
I love your artwork
Soheil thanks but this is not my work – the article is about a collection that is online