6th August 2017
We’ve covered most aspects of William Morris’ life in this blog. A man who gave us such beautiful designs and has a lasting legacy which influences bloggers, artists and fashionistas of today (Marc Jacobs included) we can’t help but be fascinated by his life. What inspired him? How did he get to be in such a position that he managed to leave us such beautiful work that’s somehow still relevant and fitting today – not only in his textile designs but visit many churches around the UK or even St James’ Palace and you’ll see his work. His reach is much farer and wider than you’d ever imagine – you’ve just got to keep your eye out for it.
We’ve been reading a lot recently about Morris’ childhood and teenage years. It’s unsurprising to learn that both his literary and his artistic tastes emerged at an early age. An avid reader, he formed passions he would carry on with him throughout his life – romance, architecture and the natural world – which was clearly his biggest inspiration, look at his designs and you’ll see wildlife galore!
Of Welsh descent, his grandfather left Wales in the later half of the 18th Century to Worcester. His mother and father, William and Emma moved to Walthamstow in 1833 with their two children, Emma and Henrietta, and here had their third child – William on 24th March 1834. It was here one of his strongest social beliefs was born at a young age – it was the year of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. The whole of his childhood coincided with the working man’s struggle with the affects of industrialisation. He despised this throughout his life and it pushed him to many of his later achievements. His parents had two more girls and four more boys and though he was close to his sister Emma during their childhoods, historians have found little evidence of a sustained relationship during adulthood. It was only his youngest brother Edgar that would join him in his work at Merton Abbey.
From Morris’ birthplace in Elm House, they moved to Woodford Hall and later to Water House in Walthamstow in 1849 after his father’s death. It’s this mid 18th century property that today houses the William Morris Gallery and has done since 1950. If you visit you’ll find an unbelievable – and permanent – collection of a full range of his work throughout his life and examples/ explanations of his influence on the famous Arts & Crafts movement.
His father left the family with a substantial sum of money – due to very successful speculation in copper shares. His father bought shares at West Country copper mine at £1 a share for 272 and these soared to a whopping £800 per share – please remember how much £800 would have been worth in that time! With over £200,000, his childhood was undoubtably carefree of money troubles and very comfortable – which continued into his early adulthood and allowed him to be free of the restraints of working for just money and concentrate on his own passions – free of money worries. He’d be the first to have agreed to his privileged status in life saying, “it was my good luck only of being born respectable and rich, that has put me this side of the window among delightful books and lovely works of art.”
Ironically then – and historians have noted it was a source of embarrassment for Morris – the very thing he hated most, industrialisation, allowed him to be immersed in the world of decorative arts which was based on a very conscious reaction against the mechanisation of the Victorian Industrial Age.
His schooldays began in 1848 – the year of the foundation of the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood, Morris began school at Marlborough College. The school was a new one and seemed lax in it’s approach, meaning he had little formal education and appears to be largely self taught, visiting the well equipped library here. Many credit Morris throughout his working life to be largely self taught, perhaps it was here at school he learnt this skill as the library had a bias towards books on ecclesiastical architecture and archaeology – meaning he took an avid interest in the subjects.
Many know how he attended Oxford University, however we must remember that when we’re speaking about his experience here, Oxford wasn’t like we know it today, it was still a medieval city in 1853. The years he spent here were, as described by himself, the happiest of his life. Formative in terms not only of his art but also learning his surroundings and forming lifelong friendships with like minded people who would inspire him and work with him throughout his career. He studied Theology at Exeter College and though he passed, he never appeared to be over enthusiastic in his opinion of the academic teaching of Oxford but instead, again, the ability for him to be self taught and receive opportunities outside of academia that were the real highlights for him.
He was incredibly happy at Oxford, forming lifelong friendships and making both artistic and literary discoveries which would shape his career. Many of his ideals were born here. An opinionated man, he passionately believed in everything he wrote or spoke about. The fact remains that he did alter many peoples views on the issues of the time, not only through his art but also through his writing.
Make sure to check the blog next week for the next instalment on his later years at Oxford and his apprenticeship following the completion of his degree.
Posted in William Morris by Laura
Beautiful floral magic by William Morris, why do you think his designs are so timeless? 🌿
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabrics #fabric #heavyweight #heavyweightfabric #upholsteryfabric #teatowels #floraldesign
Gorgeous William Morris Golden Lily, it always brightens up the dining room when it’s on the table ☀️ Which is your favourite Morris design for on your table? 🫶🏻
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisfabrics #morrisfabric #morrisfabric #fabric #goldenlily #tablecloths #smallbuisness #independantbusiness #womanownedsmallbusiness
Our French floral designs are stunning, we’ve got a French archive which dates to the late 1800s- early 1900s which is jam packed full of beautiful designs that are lovingly kept in the archive 🫶🏻 We wanted to recolour a few into this gorgeous sage green colour, mainly because, in honestly, it’s my wedding colours and I wanted to have them on my wedding table - perks of the job! 👰🏽 So these are our designs Dot, Jean and Hearts & Kisses, three of our top favourites out the archive 🌿 We love seeing them restored back to life, the colours vibrant once more, we can just imagine them in the French countryside as they once maybe were, now we produce them as fat quarters which all tone together beautifully for quilting projects - we’d love to see what you make with them, don’t forget to tag us! 🫶🏻
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#Frenchfloral #frenchdesign #originaldesign #ukprinted #independantbusiness #smallbusiness #wedding #weddingstyles #weddingnapkins #bridetobride #brideinspo #frenchflorals #fabricshop #quilting #quiltingfabrics #fabricstash #craft #fatquarters
Cutting gorgeous William Morris Lily today, did you know we sell all our fabrics by the half meter? So projects big or small, we’ve got you covered! 🫶🏻
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabrics #fabric #florals #preraphaelite #floraldesign #lily #floralfabric #upholsteryfabric #curtainfabric
POV: you’ve always got some sort of fresh flowers and a sweet treat on the table 🫶🏻
design on the table today is our beautiful William Morris Brother Rabbit Red 🐰
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisprint #designs #ukdesign #ukdesigner #britishdesign #britishdesigner #smallbuisness
Back in stock 🌿 Our Strawberry Thief blue oven gloves (and placemats too!) 🍓 a stunning addition to every kitchen 🫶🏻
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisprint #strawberrythief #preraphaelite #yorkshirefabricshop #fabricdesign #fabricstash
Bringing timeless elegance to the kitchen with our William Morris Strawberry Thief red oven glove and matching tea towel 🍓🕊️ The perfect blend of beauty and function—who said everyday essentials can’t be art? 🫶🏻
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#WilliamMorris #StrawberryThief #KitchenStyle #HeritagePrint #BritishDesign #CottagecoreKitchen #KitchenInspo #TimelessDesign #TextileArt #HomeDetails #MorrisAndCo #FloralPrint #OvenGloveStyle #TeaTowelLove #PatternedKitchen
🎉 GIVEAWAY TIME! 🎉
Win 2 meters of the stunning William Morris “Daisy” fabric – perfect for your next sewing or home décor project! 🌼✨
To enter:
1️⃣ Like this post
2️⃣ Follow us
3️⃣ Tag a friend who loves fabric as much as you do!
📅 Winner announced 1st July
Good luck! 💛🌼
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#WilliamMorrisFabric #FabricGiveaway #SewingCommunity #QuiltingLife #CraftAddict #TextileLovers #FabricStash #SewingInspiration #HomeDecorFabric #DaisyFabric #Sewcialists #giveaway #giveawaycontest #win #winner #competition #competitiontime
50% off Daisy heavyweight and cotton fabric?! 🌼 Oopsy Daisy we printed too much, so there’s now 50% off this incredibly beautiful William Morris design- what are you waiting for! 🫶🏻 This was the first design William Morris ever produced so it remains an incredibly special one, and such a timeless design, it’s perfect for quilting and crafting, the heavyweight is brilliant for light upholstery and curtain making! 🌿 Heavyweight is now £4 for half a meter and cotton is £3.50 for half a meter 🤯
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabrics #fabric #florals #salefabric #discount #quiltingfabric #sewingfabric #upholsteryfabric #curtainfabric #smallbusiness
✨ Timeless beauty for your kitchen ✨
Our Pimpernel Green tea towel and oven glove bring the iconic elegance of William Morris into your everyday. Perfect for adding a touch of Arts & Crafts charm to your home 🌿
Available now in our shop!
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#WilliamMorris #ArtsAndCraftsMovement #PimpernelGreen #KitchenStyle #HeritageDesign #TimelessInteriors #FloralTextiles #HomeStyle #CountryKitchen #CottagecoreAesthetic #EcoHomeDecor #WilliamMorrisTextiles #BritishDesign #ArtisanKitchen #SustainableStyle
If you had to guess our favourite colour combo? 🫶🏻 Beautiful Brother Rabbits on the table today along with some stunning blue and white blooms 🤍
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#blueandwhiteforever #blueandwhitedecor #blueandwhitehome #williammorris #williammorrisdesign #brotherrabbit #preraphaelite #artsandcraftsmovement
What have you made with bias binding? 🌿 Perfect for crafting, we’ve got some amazing sales on our 50m bias binding rolls in Red Strawberry Thief, Lily and Trellis have 80% off, a 50m roll for £25- what would you make? 🪡🧵
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabrics #biasbinding #biasbindinguk #fabricsale #fabricsales
Which is your fave; Strawberry Thief red or blue? 🫶🏻
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisdesigns #preraphaelites #artsandcraftsmovement #strawberrythief #printedintheuk
A gorgeous Strawberry Thief tablescape - because why not make everyday things just that little bit prettier? 🥰 Is Strawberry Thief blue or red your fave? 🫶🏻
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #uksmallbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #strawberrythief #strawberrythiefprint #preraphaelite
These gorgeous flowers steal the show in our easy little Saturday tablescape 🫶🏻 Lily is one of our favourite William Morris designs and we were so happy to be able to digitally print it now, of course it’s still printed here in the UK 🇬🇧
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#cottagecore #flowers #williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisdesign #aldifinds #lily #aldiflowers
Beautiful blooms wrapped in timeless William Morris beauty 🌸✨
This William Morris floral Mallow Wine is so gorgeous and one of our faves year round 🫶🏻
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#WilliamMorris #FloralDesign #MallowWine #VintageStyle #BotanicalBeauty #ClassicCharm #TextileArt #TimelessDesign #PatternLovers #NatureInspired #RomanticDetails #FloralFabric #EnglishHeritage #ElegantAesthetic
Totally obsessed with these dreamy William Morris florals 🌸🪡
Perfect for sewing projects, cushions, curtains – you name it. Classic prints that never go out of style!
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#WilliamMorrisFabric #FloralVibes #SewingProjects #FabricAddict #VintageFlorals #HomeStyle #CraftyCorner #InteriorInspo #CottagecoreVibes #PrettyPatterns #FabricStashGoals
Every Laura’s Beau team member has a William Morris napkin on hand at all time; even on the beach apparently 😂 Dreaming of beach days in Cornwall a few weeks ago ⛱️
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#cornwall #cornwallbeaches #cornwalluk #icecream #napkin #strawberrythief #williammorris
A little William Morris floral magic hanging over the cooker today 🫶🏻 can you name this Morris design? 🤎
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #ovenglove #teatowel #teatoweldesign #teatowelsofinstagram #cottagecoreaesthetic #cottagecore #compton
Spending Friday eve arranging some fresh blooms round the house ready for bank holiday weekend 🥰 Remember our 15% discount is still running on our website, use code: SPRINGBLOOMS 🫶🏻
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#bankholidayweekend #williammorris #pimpernel #freshflowers #iris #flowerarranging #cutflowers