In the 1880's Lily Yeats worked with various groups, notably May Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, and later at the Dun Emer Guild and the Dun Emer Industries. She generally worked with her sister, Elizabeth Yeats ('Lolly'), who was a famous book designer and illustrator.
The first Lily Yeats Embroidery Competition took place in 2013. Students were asked to send in a photograph of a piece of hand embroidery that they had made and that had been inspired by a poem by W.B. Yeats, the brother of Lily and Elizabeth Yeats. The embroidery had to be not larger than A3-size. A shortlist was made and those on the list were asked to send in the complete piece of work for the jury to see. The winner of the 2013 competition was Mariosa Friel (Mulroy College, Milford, Co. Donegal), with an embroidery based on the poem “The White Birds”.
In 2014 the competition was won by Katy Cody from Loreto Secondary School Fermoy, Co. Cork. Her embroidery was inspired by the poem “The Peacock”. The embroidery featured a large peacock surrounded by fine foliage. The 2015 competition was organised to coincide with the 150th birthday celebrations of W.B Yeats, on 13 June. The winner of the competition was Claire Smyth from St. Leo’s College, Carlow. The embroidery was inspired by the poem, “The Fairy Pendant'.
Digital source (retrieved 31 March 3016).
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 28 June 2016).
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