Embroidered textiles were the first furnishings designed and produced by William Morris and his wife Jane, enabling them to decorate their homes with the historically inspired textiles they desired, and providing an outlet for William Morris's intellectual and physical need to make things by hand. After Morris’s interests moved on to designing and manufacturing other products, the Morris & Co. embroidery studio, managed by his daughter May from 1885 to 1896, functioned as one of the most commercial areas of the company, producing kits and finished embroideries, which were popular with the middle classes and wealthy aristocrats and business people. Embroideries available ranged from cushions and tea cosies to panels for folding screens, and large scale decorative hangings. May Morris introduced many new designs, and was responsible for the success of the embroidery department, as a highly skilled designer and embroiderer, and effective manager.

As a screen panel, 'Anemone' appears nine times in the Morris & Co. embroidery workroom daybook in the NAL collections (MSL/1939/2636), in which May Morris listed all embroidery work commissioned for the years 1892-96. This indicates the continued popularity of the embroidered screen panels and this particular design. This 'started' panel, including the cotton ground, painted design, and coloured silks, with areas completed so that the recommended technique could be followed at home, cost £1 and one shilling in 1896. In this case, the panel was never worked, and the threads were also given to the Museum (T.159-2016 to T.190-2016). The embroidery kit was passed to the donor, Jill Ford, by her mother, Elsie Winifred Couper (1906-1948), the daughter of the Scottish civil engineer Benjamin Blyth II (1849-1917).