

In 1888, Lily Yeats was invited by May Morris, daughter of William Morris and running Morris & Co., to work in her embroidery workshop at Kelmscott House in Oxfordshire. It was here that Lily learnt her craft, spending nearly six years there. To the added delight of the family in London, after her initial week at Morris & Co., she returned with ten shillings - welcome relief for a family consistently searching for the next income. May Morris' strong temper and strict working conditions meant it was not always pleasant for Lily, but the experience was invaluable for her when she went on to produce needlework at Dun Emer in Dublin.