Erica Wilson

Who was Erica Wilson?

Erica Wilson was an English-born American embroidery designer based in New York, known particularly for needlepoint. She has also designed wallcoverings and greeting cards. Her designs have been published by Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. Wilson earned the nicknames "Julia Child of embroidery" and "America's first lady of stitchery" for her work.

Wilson was born in Tidworth, England on October 8, 1928. She moved to Bermuda with her parents as a baby, when her father, a British military colonel, was stationed on the island. She lived in Bermuda for five years, until her parents divorce. Wilson was raised in England and Scotland after moving from Bermuda, but recalled the move as upsetting, "I was broken-hearted at leaving the only home I'd ever known." She later graduated from the Royal School of Needlework in London.

Wilson immigrated to the United States in 1954 to work as a needlework instructor. Some of her early students included Mrs. Procter and Mrs. Watson. She married furniture designer Vladimir Kagan in 1957, they have three children.