The Material Heart: Front Line to Home Front

Charming small exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum of decorated pin-stuck cushions.

The works were from two collectors, Simon Costin and Alessandra Curtis, and were well explained but didn’t get bogged down in the detail of each one. The blurb explained how cushions were often made from a kit although others were designed by the maker.

The larger display featured pieces made in the First World War and shortly afterwards by soldiers with kits being available to purchase on the front line and the Post Office delivering the finished works back home free of charge.

I am a bit of a First World War nerd, and I had not come across this phenomena before.

Closed 13 September 2026

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