They Hanged Women Not Witches in England — A5 or A3 Sewing Sampler

This A5–A3 sized sampler is part of an ongoing series that interrogates the history of the European witch trials—not as fantasy, but as systemic, targeted violence against women.

In England, witchcraft accusations peaked during the 16th and 17th centuries, with many executions concentrated in the West Country. While popular imagination conjures bonfires and pyres, the reality here was often hanging, and the accused were not mythical spell-casters, but real, ordinary women—widows, healers, outsiders, or simply those who didn’t conform.

The final known execution for witchcraft in England took place in 1716, yet the fear and social policing of women lingered long after. These women were punished not for supernatural acts, but for being noncompliant, inconvenient, or simply vulnerable in a rigid, patriarchal society.

The work invites the stitcher to reflect on the sanitisation of history—where real women’s suffering is rewritten as fiction. The blanked word is an invitation: will you say it plainly?

What’s Included:
* A4–A5 printed fabric sampler (calico)
* Embroidery needle

Optional Extras (Select Below):
* Wooden Embroidery Hoop – Keeps your fabric taut and easier to work with
* Thread Selection – Choose a colour palette that suits your interpretation
* Sheet of Felt Backing – Adds thickness and structure for easier stitching and display

Why This Piece Matters:
This is not a fairy tale.
This is not folklore.
This is about women who were murdered for being women - for being loud, lonely, or just alive in the wrong way.

Through stitching, we name them. We remember them. And we resist the urge to soften the truth.