Winsome Douglass

Winsome Douglas (1919-2016) was a British embroiderer and teacher active in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1960s. She was born in Hartlepool in County Durham in 1919, and died at the age of 97 on 28 December 2016 in Hartlepool.

Early life and education An only child, Douglas' early life was spent primarily in the northeast of England. She attended the West Hartlepool High School for Girls. After leaving school, she gained a place at the St Hild's Women's Teacher Training College (now part of the University of Durham) where she graduated with a degree in geography. Reading Museum and the Paisley Museum.

In December 2019, The University of Edinburgh College of Art held a special 2 month-long exhibition, entitled 'Touching Stitches', to show off items from its historic NDS collection of embroidery. The event was described as a display of inspiring pieces of needlework and textile art from the 17th to the 20th century. The exhibition showcases several of Douglas' intricate designs and finished pieces. One of these is a brightly coloured circular cushion; a description and photograph of it can be viewed on the University of Edinburgh website. This piece features bold, fantastical animals, embroidered in primary colours. A stitch analysis carried out in 2017 by the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) showed that it contained 17 different types of embroidery stitches.

In addition to revealing rarely-displayed work, the exhibition highlights how Douglas' samples were used by ECA as a valuable teaching tool for groups of women, including refugees, prisoners and visually impaired.

Writing career Douglas wrote three books on embroidery techniques during her long life. The books, entitled 'Discovering Embroidery', 'Let me Embroider' and 'Embroidery' were published by Mills and Boon in the 1950s. A more specialised book entitled 'Toys for your Delight' was published in the 1960s.

These books were designed to inspire and educate others in the craft, by explaining and illustrating techniques of embroidery to the public. The books passed on the knowledge and skills gained through her own artistic endeavours and her experience in the Needlework Development Scheme to future generations of sewers and embroiderers.