Thank You to the Fellers from the Lovers of Needlework Community!

I want to thank the Micheal and Elizabeth Feller from the bottom of my heart.  Not only did they generously allow their amazing and very important collection of 17th century embroidery to be photographed and published but to be exhibited as well.  And then yesterday came the amazing news that the 61 pieces they have loaned to be on display at the Ashmolean will stay forever.

The Fellers have given an enormous legacy to the public by donating these pieces to the Ashmolean in honor of their departing Director, Professor Christopher Brown.  You can read more about the legacy on Needleprint.

In a time frame where we are finding that textile collections are being moved off site at museums and becoming ever so much harder to see, this is amazing news.  The potential here for academic work and new knowledge is tremendous.

I had the good fortune of meeting the man who will be taking the helm at the Ashmolean this summer, a wonderful gentleman who was in charge of a stupendous textile collection at the Holburne Museum in Bath.  He was the driving force behind the acquisition of the beaded basket which we held a contest to help.  He has a very special place in his heart for 17th century embroidery and was terribly excited by the exhibit that the Fellers had enabled at his new employer.  So I know that this gift, honoring someone who had the vision to mount a tremendous exhibition will be vastly appreciated and used by the new guard to educate the public on the wonders of 17th century embroidery.

I feel like I need to get an apartment for a month in Oxford now!!!  Is the Ashmolean the new V&A for us textile lovers?

Now how about a novel thought - write a thank you note to Micheal and Elizabeth Feller C/O The Director of Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont St., Oxford OX1 2PH, United Kingdom.  Let the museum and the Fellers know how grateful we are for the current exhibit and the future study they have enabled!  

Tricia