Strawberry Thief by Morris and Co.

This 137 cm wide cotton prints by Morris and Co. Strawberry Thief was inspired by a real-life problem for many gardeners. Morris tried to grow strawberries at Kelmscott Manor but found they were often eaten by greedy birds. It was originally printed by the indigo discharge method whereby colours were printed onto a dyed indigo cloth using a bleaching agent which bleached out the ground colour and in the same process printed reds, greens and yellows in its place. The background is pale mottled duck egg blue upon which there are printed flowers, acorns, strawberries, oak leaves and then the birds all in profile and not too much detail but it fairly obvious that they are birds and the colours of all these things are in pale beiges, mustard olive green pink with darker blue centres to some of the flowers. Very traditional but for what you may ask and I would have to say I am not entirely certain. The cloth itself is very fine cotton poplin and over all its at least 150 cm but the print is only 137 cm wide. Make of it what you will!