She established the Gwen Mullins Trust in the 1950s, which provided financial support to craft workers.

[1] Elizabeth Gwendolen was the second of two daughters of Augustus Brandt, a merchant banker of Russian-German descent, and Jean Champion Garmany, an American from Georgia.

[3] After her formal education, she spent time in Italy, where she developed a love of art and ancient places.

Years later, she would confide that “the moment the baby was placed in her arms, she knew she did not like it.”[8] She had a second daughter, Barbara, also by Caesarean section, on 8 December 1927.

[12] On her thirtieth birthday, in 1934, Mullins' father increased her trust by £20,000, about which her husband wrote “We already have more money than we really need.”[13] In 1936, Mullins was “showing signs of great psychological strain” in part because of her eldest daughter, Ann, whose behaviour she found extremely stressful.

[19][20] In her weaving, she used a knotted pile technique, which gave freedom for design and created a “good heavy rug”.

[21] Of her work she said, it was “inspired and developed from sketches or photos brought back from walks and travels.” [22] She had a particular interest in using vegetable dyes from locally sourced plants.

[24][25] At this time, she expanded her craft knowledge with book binding lessons at Epsom School of Art and Design.

Commissions for the Graffham Weavers included hangings for the altar and choir at Worcester Cathedral, a cope and mitre for the Bishop of Ripon and rugs for rooms at Exeter College, Oxford.

[44] Recipients of grants from the trust included: Mullins funded Craftman's Mark, a non-profit enterprise, initially run by Morfudd Roberts, which provided hand-weavers with access to a more "finessed" yarn than was available commercially.