Above the fireplace in Culross Palace there are markings to ward off witches who were believed to shape shift and come down openings such as chimneys.  It was this superstition mixed with the idea of deliberately concealed clothing which sparked off a site specific textile installation by textile artist Deirdre Nelson.

The project had come about quite informally when two friends, who had created an installation in Culross Palace last year, suggested Deirdre visit Christine Wilson of the National Trust for Scotland, who manages the building, to discuss her work.   Deirdre visited last summer and thought Culross Palace was a fantastic and inspiring place and was invited to do an installation.

“I was looking for some piece of social history which would be of interest" says Deirdre. " I had previously been looking at deliberately concealed clothing for another piece - this was the practice of concealing clothing within the fabric of a building in order to protect the inhabitants from evil spirits - so I still had this idea in mind for future work.”  She then found out that Culross was known for the execution for witches and the the idea for her installation came to life. 

Through research she discovered the names of the 42 witches executed at Culross and decided to embroider them onto linen.  “Witches were tortured through sleep deprivation and I wanted to find some method of incorporating that into it so I embroidered the names onto a bed sheet.  I also made a lavender bolster pillow, which is in one of the rooms creating a bed like textile piece on the floor.  Lavender was used by witches in Sabbath fires but it is also associated with sleep.  I wanted to create some sort of smell in the room so lavender was perfect” says Deirdre.

In the other room she made a piece which covers the back of the fireplace and then comes onto the floor.  She says “I embroidered plants associated with witchcraft using techniques typical to the time – crewel work and stumpwork.  The embroidery is slightly 3D so it was photographed and through Photoshop I resized and repeated it then the image was digitally printed onto a length of cloth.  I wanted to create a cloth which incorporated traditional skills of the time but with a contemporary interpretation through the digital print.”

The length of cloth is 80cm x 700cm and looks as if it is coming down the fireplace into the room and across the floor.  The flowers represented are all associated with witches and she found many of them still growing in the garden at Culross.  The hand stitching was very labour intensive and took around six weeks to complete.

Culross Palace was built between 1597 and 1611 and features original interiors with painted woodwork, 17th and 18th century furniture and decorative items, and a collection of Staffordshire and Scottish pottery.  A model 17th century garden contains a variety of unusual vegetables, herbs and perennials, all available in 1600.

The textile installation ‘waking and watching’ is in Culross Palace, Culross, Fife KY12 8JH from 3 April to 30 September 2005.  Culross Palace, Study, Town House, shop and tearoom is open daily from 12 to 5pm with last entry 4.30pm.  The garden is open all year daily from 10am to 6pm or sunset if earlier.  Entry costs £5 for adults, concessions £3.75, children £1 and family £13.50.

To find our more about deliberately concealed garments visit www.concealedgarments.org