St Christopher's Church
Round Green, Luton
The Holwell Embroidery
This 1,3 metre square of linen, embroidered with intricate
designs of flowers, fruit and birds, is the work of Mrs Lilian Bailey
Holwell.
She spent three hundred hours designing it, and worked on it for
thirty-five years.
“It took me dozens of hours just to do one little pear in the pattern,” she explained, as an example of the patience it needed. Mrs Holwell had plenty of encouragement from her former employer, the late Duchess Mary of Bedford.“The Duchess liked it very much and used to encourage me to finish it,” said Mrs Holwell.
“I have always been interested in embroidery and have done countless smaller pieces of work, but I wanted to make something big that would last. I came to regard it as a friend. I worked on it in planes, on ships, and many times on train journeys.”
There
are forty different types of stitches, including many invented by
Mrs Holwell herself, and eighty different colours worked into the square.
While still only partly completed, it was shown at many exhibitions, and
won first prize every time.
The completed tapestry was framed and presented to St. Christopher’s
to celebrate the extension to the church building in 1959.
The Latin phrase 'Laus Deo' at the top of the frame means 'Praise be to
God'. If for any reason, it should have to leave the church, it will be
sent to the Aberdeen School of Art, at Mrs Holwell’s request.