Elizabeth Phelps, the daughter of a wealthy wine shipper, was the driving force behind Madeira embroidery's transformation from a hobby to an industry. In the late 19th century, with concerns over vine diseases affecting the wine production and workers' wages, she turned a local pastime of embroidery into a source of income for the island. By introducing the handmade embroidery from Madeira to Britain, she started demand for the embroidery.
In the following years, the demand for Madeira embroidery rose and the local embroiderers were busy creating hand-embroidered products for the market. Local businessmen began traveling abroad, selling Madeira embroidery.
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