Strawberry Thief furnishing fabric, 1917–1940

Strawberry Thief printed cotton 1917-1940, designed by William Morris (1834–1896) in 1883. Full width sample with block-printed design.

The repeating design features two pairs of thrushes standing amongst ripe strawberries against a floral background. A Morris and Company paper label is attached to the lower left corner. Strawberry Thief was one of Morris’s most popular patterns. Morris based the design on thrushes he saw pinching strawberries in his garden at Kelmscott Manor.

Morris was one of Britain’s most influential 19th century designers. He is best known for his textile designs which he concentrated on from 1875-85 producing thirty two designs for printed fabrics. In 1881 Morris moved Morris and Company’s production to Merton Abbey, a factory on the River Wandle in Wimbledon where this sample was printed.

Morris textiles also have a strong local connection, with the designs later being printed at Stead McAlpin in Carlisle. In 1939 twenty eight out of a total of thirty two William Morris patterns for printed textiles carved on the original wood blocks were transferred from Merton Abbey to Stead McAlpin in Carlisle. The firm reprinted this design on cotton using the original wood blocks in 1940. It was a difficult design to print and took several days to complete and was one of the firm’s most expensive cottons. Until recently the firm printed William Morris textile designs for Sanderson and Liberty using modern printing processes.