Stitching Freedom: Embroidery & Incarceration

by Isabella Rosner

For centuries, people have stitched in good times and in bad, finding strength in the needle moving in and out of fabric. Stitching Freedom explores the embroidery made in prisons and mental health hospitals — those who have embroidered to distract, to reflect or to calm.

From Mary, Queen of Scots to Lorina Bulwer, embroidery historian and curator Isabella Rosner unpicks twelve embroidered histories to discover what can be created when freedom is out of reach.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Art

67 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Malou Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moooooi

[Jassmine]

The Women's History Podcast may actually ruin me yet... This book sounds amazing though!

Article/interview with the author: https://daily.jstor.org/prisoners-pas...
The podcast episode that started this: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/...

I might actually need to buy this one... the issue is... Common Threads Press has so many cool looking titles that I might end up purchasing way more books than I bargained for 🙈

[Annie Tate Cockrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the coolest things I’ve ever read!! Isabella Rosner does a wonderful job writing about embroidery artists and the work that they’ve done while in prisons and psychiatric hospitals. Rosner covers a lot of time and regions in this book - starting with Mary Queen of Scots, taking us to Ashley an enslaved woman in the US, a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany, the Changi camp in Singapore, and to many other incarcerated people around the world. I learned so much reading this book and really appreciated the care and respect Rosner gave to each maker that she wrote about. A lot of this work and these artists could have been lost but through work like this book they are remembered!!

Another great find from Common Threads Press - the coolest press on the scene.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief exploration of 12 individuals throughout history who endured incarceration, and the pieces they embroidered that have survived to tell their stories. A really compelling insight into the heartache, defiance, meditation, and power of embroidery - accompanied by beautiful illustrations.

[Hilary Tesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but infuriating little book about stitching done by both women and men in various forms of captivity. Interesting - the information about each of the stitchers is given succinctly and informatively. Infuriating - my reading of the book was interrupted by frequent trips to the internet to see if could find photographs of the stitching featured, rather than relying on the artist’s impressions of them.

[jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

really great intro the topic as it explores 11 different stories, the only thing i wish is that it was a bit longer because i would've loved to go into a bit more detail on some of the stories. but i learned a lot and it was a good reflection on the way that incarcerated people have used embroidery to share stories, messages, and their feelings throughout history, and i'm definitely interested in learning more about the topic now.

[Yellowoasis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing resource – the stories in this small book are astonishing. Some of the embroiderers I was aware of, others not so much. A great addition to the book would be a list of further reading and where to find out more about the people featured. I am now going to spend a happy few hours searching for more information and photographs!

[Anna IJpma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book with beautiful stories about how embroidery can provide solace and is a means of expression. This book proves (once again) that embroidery can be beneficial to physical and mental well-being :).

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick stories of people who embroidered in prison or mental institutions

[Sara Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish they included photos of the garments and pieces mentioned, but they gave enough reference information I could Google each one. It was a fascinating book to kick off a research binge, for sure.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredibly thought provoking and emotive, Informative and easy reading style.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely poignant. I only wish there had been pictures of the original pieces included rather than illustrations.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Valentina GG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book/zine and the author while researching for my thesis, I absolutely loved it.