Worcester Stitch and Textile Art Group Worcester Stitch and Textile Art Group

Monthly meetings

Other meetings:

Fine Cell, Elinor Gibbs

03 September 2024

Fine Cell is an organisation that encourages and teaches stitching, mainly in embroidery and canvas work, to prisoners, working in High Security through to Open prisons.

Its origins began after the World War when Ernest Thesiger saw the therapeutic benefits of stitching for injured soldiers. He started the Disabled Soldiers Embroidery Industry, 1918-1955 with the premise that high quality pieces were sold at high prices to wealthy clients.  Later Lady Anne Tree a prison visitor 1949-1974 introduced embroidery as a meaningful creative activity to mainly women. She founded the Fine Cell charity in 1995 and ran campaign so that the prisoners could receive money for their work. Founder of Fine Cell Work

Now Fine Cell is involved in 38 prisons, with 24 cell groups involving 538 prisoners with 32 prison leavers still continuing with stitching. They receive kits at the prison collected by the Fine Cell volunteers, which are designated for Beginners, Intermediate workers and Expert stitchers. These different categories receive money into the prisoner’s account quite soon after the completed items are received at Fine Cell Headquarters. There is quite fierce competition to improve the quality of their work and climb up the levels as the more complicated kits receive higher remuneration. All the prisoners are required to stitch to a very high standard even on the back of the work. On seeing the samples of cushion covers, needle cases, bags and bookmarks, that Grace and Jane brought, the prisoners produce work of a very high calibre.

The prisoners often help each other with advice. They are allowed a needle and nail clippers to cut thread and can continue to stitch in their cells, which they are keen to do, as the sooner work is completed the sooner they are paid. The kits include high quality materials and many designs are created by famous designers. Items are sold on the website but also at high end shops e.g. Peter James, at pop up displays in London.

MW