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William Morris in Leek

19th November 2014

The St Edwards Church in Leek, contains a beautiful window designed by William Morris and his friend Edward Burne-Jones.

Today, the church is a pillar of the community in Leek, on Wednesdays and Saturdays they serve tea and coffee so people can come together in the 1000 year old church.

The Pre-Raphaelite stained glass window in the church is really what caught our eye whilst we were walking round Leek, it is a beautiful example of how talented Morris was.

Morris stayed in Leek to spend time at the dyeworks between 1875-77 re-viving the use of vegetable dying. Morris and Thomas Wardle remained friends until Morris’ death in 1896. Wardles’ wife Elizabeth was a special woman too, instead of simply working in the industry of textiles, herself and her husband set up Leek Embroidery School, which grew to take commissions from all over the country.

In the book, The Reformers Handbook in 1901, the Leek church is mentioned in connection with William Morris, “The church was opened in Dec., 1896, and appears to be the only memorial of the late William Morris yet offered in which he would have personally rejoiced. It has a “Cinderella,” which provides simple feasts and entertainments for the poorest children of the town, winter and summer, in times of trade depression.” From the same book, the inside of the church was described, “The seats and other woodwork are painted apple-green, with blue felt mats, and the walls are stencilled on a rich red lacquer ground with designs by Walter Crane and Larner Sugden. The speaker’s desk has a richly embroidered silk book-cloth, designed by George Rigby and Donald Larner, and executed by a member of the Leek Embroidery Society: it bears in ‘Kelmscott” lettering the church’s name.”

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Our gorgeous “Dot” design 🤍 We have a French archive which dates from the late 1800s- early 1900s which Dot was in, we digitally restored it and recoloured it to be this beautiful sage green, it is perfect for quilting and crafting in fat quarters ✨
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Team matching or team mix and match? 👻👇

Our napkins come in packs of 4, but if you’re a maximalist at heart, have a look at our sale section. We have packs of 1 and 2, so you can build your own beautifully mismatched set 🌸🎃

Shop via the link in bio.

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All of our fabrics are licensed William Morris designs, digitally printed here in the UK. We offer two weights, so you can pick the right one for your project:

🌿 Cotton
Lighter, softer and easy to sew. It drapes beautifully and is perfect for:

- Dressmaking, like skirts, blouses and shirts
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- Bunting, lavender bags and small crafts
- Lightweight curtains

🌿 Heavyweight cotton
Thicker and sturdier, It holds its shape and stands up to light upholstery use, so it’s ideal for:

- Cushion covers
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Not sure which you need? Send us a message and we’ll happily help 💛

Shop by the half metre via the link in bio.
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You can buy her ready-made as a tablecloth and napkins, or by the half metre if you’d like to make something of your own 🧵

Pretty, romantic, and made for long lunches and special occasions 🥂 Link in bio to shop. #charlotterose #frenchvintage #floraltablecloth #tablescape #laurasbeau
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Every order is measured and cut to order. We sell it by the half metre, so it’s ideal for small projects or big makes. It’s a licensed William Morris design, digitally printed in the UK ✨

Order yours via the link in bio 💛

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A handmade gift will always mean so much with the thought and time gone into it, but be sure to start well in advance so you’re not frantically sewing on Christmas Eve! ✨

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🎨 Incredible detail. Every tiny petal, berry and feather comes out crisp and true to the original design. The colours are consistent and gorgeous. 
🌈 Rich, accurate colours that stay just as vibrant as the artwork intended when Morris designed them
🌿 Kinder to the planet. Digital printing typically uses far less water than traditional methods, and we print in smaller batches, so there’s less waste.
🇬🇧 Supporting British makers. A shorter supply chain means we keep skills, jobs and quality close to home.

It’s a modern way to bring timeless designs into your home 💛

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Our Golden Lily heavyweight fabric is a licensed William Morris print, printed in the UK, and it’s a dream to sew with. Cushion covers, roman blinds, tote bags, a reupholstered chair… tell me in the comments what you'd make👇

Available now, we sell it by the half metre for £13.25

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