Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art
In an exciting collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland, Dovecot Studios is thrilled to present a captivating new exhibition that unveils Scotland’s hidden textile treasures.
About Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art
Taking place at Dovecot Studios, the exhibition features more than 80 pieces from the National Trust for Scotland’s collections around the country. Many have never been on public display before.
The exhibition, for the first time, brings together pieces large and small, intricate and practical, into one space. It puts the spotlight firmly on the skills and creativity of the women and girls who worked behind the scenes creating these pieces of art over a 200-year period.
National Trust for Scotland curator Emma Inglis chose the items for the exhibition from the conservation charity’s extensive textile collection, which is held at historic properties all over Scotland.
She said: “Embroidery is often considered the Cinderella of the artworld – these are beautiful items which, because they are usually found in domestic settings, have tended to be overlooked.
“By bringing all these pieces together for the first time in a dedicated exhibition, we hope to shine a light on these beautiful pieces and bring them to an audience who will appreciate them as the artworks they are.
“We hope too, to highlight the talent, creativity and skill of the women and girls who made these unique pieces over two centuries.”
The exhibition includes items from Newhailes in Musselburgh, Drum Castle and Haddo House in Aberdeenshire, House of the Binns in Linlithgow, the Hill House in Helensburgh and Weaver’s Cottage in Kilbarchan.
The range of items on show reflects the variety of women who created them – from the large-scale and luxurious bed cover from Kellie Castle made by the talented Lorimer family to smaller items, like the pin cushion created by farmer’s daughter May Sandison, who made pieces for Lady Aberdeen at Haddo House and ran a needlework school for her there.
Emma continued: “For many of these pieces, it is the first time they have ever been displayed. After years of being stored in cupboards and drawers, each piece has had a great deal of attention. It’s been carefully researched, its story has been uncovered, along with that of its creator, and any conservation work that was needed has been undertaken too. Everything is now looking its best and is ready to shine, getting the attention artwork of this calibre deserves.”
‘Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art’ explores 200 years of the domestic interior in Scotland, examining the art and design of embroidery from the National Trust for Scotland’s extraordinary collection of textiles, taken from its properties all over Scotland. The exhibition runs at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh from 25 October 2024 – 15 January 2025.
Celia Joicey, Dovecot Studios Director, said: “As the UK’s longest running tapestry studio, Dovecot is delighted to be showcasing the National Trust for Scotland’s remarkable collection of domestic textiles, shown together for the first time in Edinburgh. We celebrate the rich heritage of textile art in Scotland and its continued relevance today by providing an inspiring context in which to see Dovecot’s 21st-century artistic tapestries and rugs being made.”
National Trust for Scotland members receive a 50% discount on standard entry prices.
Stitched exhibition visitors will receive a 20% discount on standard entry prices for one visit to one of the following National Trust for Scotland’s properties - Georgian House and Gladstone’s Land in Edinburgh and Newhailes in Musselburgh, valid during the exhibition run on presentation of their Stitched exhibition ticket.
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